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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Reloaded Women's Squash To Begin Ivy, National Title Defense Sunday
November 14, 2007 | Women's Squash
On the final Sunday of the 2006-07 women's squash season, a senior-laden Princeton squad completed a magical perfect season with a win over Harvard for the national team title. As they celebrated together on the court, two things were clear. Of course, the seniors were terrific leaders and would be missed. But you also had to note the young talent that would return for another chase at the title.
A trio of current sophomores played a major role in that championship season, and they will be asked to be young leaders for this year's team. Leading the way will be Neha Kumar, who played both No. 1 and 2 last season and gained as much experience as she did wins ? and she picked up a lot of wins.
Kumar was dominant at the Howe Cup, going 3-0 and picking up a tough five-game win against Yale's Miranda Ranieri. She was undaunted in the final and claimed a 3-0 victory in the Tigers' championship effort. She entered the individual championships as the sixth seed, but her quarterfinal upset of Yale No. 1 Catherine McLeod showed just how dangerous she would be over the next three years. She is a brilliant tactical player with great shotmaking ability ? a lethal combination for such a young player.
Classmate Amanda Siebert played No. 3 for Princeton, and she showed her resiliency in a midseason upset of No. 1 Penn. Having just lost a five-game match against Trinity, Siebert faced former Penn No. 1 Paula Pearson. The Tiger underclassman held a 2-0 lead before dropping the next two games to the experienced Pearson. Siebert bounced back to claim the fifth for one of her best wins. She raised her level of play over the summer and should be one of Princeton's top players this season.
The third of the sophomore trio is Kaitlin Sennatt, who was simply untouchable at No. 9 in Princeton's loaded lineup last year. She went undefeated and swept through the Holleran Cup field to win that individual title. With the quantity of seniors out of the lineup this year, Sennatt will see more severe challenges this season, but head coach Gail Ramsay is confident in her progress over the summer and her ability to raise her game against tougher opponents.
Senior tri-captain Casey Riley would be a natural fit at the top of the lineup as well, be an offseason knee injury will cost her the majority, if not all of her senior season. Riley has played near the top of the ladder before dominating last season at No. 6. If she is unable to play, Ramsay will count on her leadership to help the team through a tough season.
Two newcomers could move up to the top of the ladder this year. Sophomore Emery Maine is a former No. 1 player for the U.S. Junior Women's squash team, but she didn't play as a freshman because she is an attack player for the nationally-ranked Princeton women's lacrosse team. Maine has decided to play squash as well this season, and after shaking off the rust from an 18-month layoff, she should be able to pay immediate dividends.
Freshman Jackie Moss was Princeton's top recruit in the Class of 2011, and Ramsay hopes she can make an immediate impact, similar to the ones of Kumar, Siebert and Sennatt last season. Moss played for Team Canada at the Junior World Championships last season and should be able to compete with the top programs in the country this season.
There is a cast of players who will be competing for the remainder of the varsity spots, including tri-captains Carly Grabowski and Margaret Kent. Grabowski has been one of the toughest competitors Ramsay has sent out over the last few years. She was undefeated in dual meets as a freshman and sophomore, and she clinched the Howe Cup with a 3-0 win last year. Kent suffered a stress fracture last season and couldn't be part of the championship chase, but her health will be crucial this season. Kent was 13-3 as a freshman and had a win in a near-upset of national champion Yale two seasons ago.
Juniors Aly Brady and Maggie O'Toole were competing for time on the ladder as freshmen, but they were unable to break through last season. Both have the opportunity to get back in this season, and each has worked hard in the offseason to take advantage of the opportunity. Injuries gave them a chance to compete in the 2006 Howe Cup, and both came up with big wins. Depth has always been a strength in the program, and their abilities to claim wins at the bottom of the ladder will be important.
Freshmen Nikki Sequeira and Julia Wiegel are both exciting recruits for Ramsay, and both could find themselves among the 5-9 positions. Both join returners Joanna Scoon, Vanessa Yu and Blair Ligelis in competition for varsity time, and much will be decided in both the preseason and in challenge matches. Skill can take you only so far, and Ramsay needs players with the toughness to pull out big wins.
Princeton is the defending national champion, and despite the loss of a strong senior class, the Tigers feel good about their current roster and look forward to another run at Ivy and national supremacy.