Friday, November 18
Princeton, N.J.
5:30 PM
Princeton University
vs
Stanford
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
No. 4 Princeton, No. 5 Stanford Set For Key Early-Season Showdown At Jadwin, Will Highlight Home Trio
November 17, 2016 | Women's Squash
Patience can be a tough sell to an athlete, much less an entire team, but the Princeton women's squash team knows that it may still be a while from peaking this season.
That's fine. As much as they'd love to play well this weekend on the Jadwin Squash Courts, it's a certain February weekend in Jadwin that really means the most to the Tigers.
Fourth-ranked Princeton returns plenty of talent this season, though its All-America powerhouse duo of Olivia Fiechter and Maria Elena Ubina have been limited this preseason by injuries. Head coach Gail Ramsay isn't sure how quickly that duo will be ready, but she knows they have put in the work to get back to the high rate of squash Tiger fans have grown accustomed to. After all, both have been Top-10 All-America honorees multiple times, and Fiechter has gone as far as the national semifinals.
Ubina shares co-captain duties with Alex Toth, who won 10 matches playing in the middle of the lineup last season. That duo will need to bring more than success on the court (though that will be important too); they will need to provide leadership to a lineup that will have a number of talented underclassmen.
Another key veteran to watch will be junior Lindsey Scott, who has dealt with her own injuries issues over the last two seasons. Scott returned in the middle of last season and provided a big boost in the top half of the lineup. She should be a crucial player in that 3-4 area, as will classmate Kira Keating, who has had a number of impressive wins in important spots over her first two seasons. Keating won 11 matches last season, and figures to be in the middle of the lineup this year.
A senior and a pair of sophomores each had impressive seasons in the bottom half of the lineup. Senior Gabriella Garr dropped only one match last season, and that was a four-gamer against eventual national champion Harvard. She brings veteran savvy and experience into the season.
The sophomore duo of Samantha Chai and Isabel Hirshberg will be an especially interesting pair to watch. Hirshberg lead Princeton in victories (14) last season and provided an absolute anchor around the No. 9 spot, while Chai won 13 matches around the No. 6/7 spot, including a very impressive 3-2 win over Penn in the Howe Cup semifinal. Both now have a full year of experience and offseason training to build upon, and Ramsay has seen numerous players take big steps forward during their sophomore seasons.
That being said, Ramsay also knows she will need to rely on freshmen again this season, and she has a pair that she feels could make an early impact around the middle or bottom of the lineup. Morgan Steelman has been ranked No. 1 at the U13, U15 and U17 age levels, and she reached No. 5 at U19; Steelman also represented the USA at the Pan-American Games and won the gold medal in mixed doubles, which included an upset of the top-ranked team from Mexico Madison Soukup has been ranked as high as No. 4 at both the U15 and U17 levels nationally, and she placed 10th in the 2016 GU19 U.S. Closed Championships.
Kate Feeley, Camille Price, Ashley Richards, and Natalie Tung have also had productive offseasons, and Ramsay believes they will be strong competitors from lineup spots throughout the season.
Princeton opens the 2016-17 schedule this weekend with three home matches, all of which will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network. The highlight match should come in the Friday opener, when the Tigers host a deep Stanford squad, currently ranked fifth nationally, at 5:30 pm. Princeton will also host No. 14 Franklin & Marshall (Saturday, 12 pm) and No. 13 George Washington (Sunday, 12 pm) this weekend.
That's fine. As much as they'd love to play well this weekend on the Jadwin Squash Courts, it's a certain February weekend in Jadwin that really means the most to the Tigers.
Fourth-ranked Princeton returns plenty of talent this season, though its All-America powerhouse duo of Olivia Fiechter and Maria Elena Ubina have been limited this preseason by injuries. Head coach Gail Ramsay isn't sure how quickly that duo will be ready, but she knows they have put in the work to get back to the high rate of squash Tiger fans have grown accustomed to. After all, both have been Top-10 All-America honorees multiple times, and Fiechter has gone as far as the national semifinals.
Ubina shares co-captain duties with Alex Toth, who won 10 matches playing in the middle of the lineup last season. That duo will need to bring more than success on the court (though that will be important too); they will need to provide leadership to a lineup that will have a number of talented underclassmen.
Another key veteran to watch will be junior Lindsey Scott, who has dealt with her own injuries issues over the last two seasons. Scott returned in the middle of last season and provided a big boost in the top half of the lineup. She should be a crucial player in that 3-4 area, as will classmate Kira Keating, who has had a number of impressive wins in important spots over her first two seasons. Keating won 11 matches last season, and figures to be in the middle of the lineup this year.
A senior and a pair of sophomores each had impressive seasons in the bottom half of the lineup. Senior Gabriella Garr dropped only one match last season, and that was a four-gamer against eventual national champion Harvard. She brings veteran savvy and experience into the season.
The sophomore duo of Samantha Chai and Isabel Hirshberg will be an especially interesting pair to watch. Hirshberg lead Princeton in victories (14) last season and provided an absolute anchor around the No. 9 spot, while Chai won 13 matches around the No. 6/7 spot, including a very impressive 3-2 win over Penn in the Howe Cup semifinal. Both now have a full year of experience and offseason training to build upon, and Ramsay has seen numerous players take big steps forward during their sophomore seasons.
That being said, Ramsay also knows she will need to rely on freshmen again this season, and she has a pair that she feels could make an early impact around the middle or bottom of the lineup. Morgan Steelman has been ranked No. 1 at the U13, U15 and U17 age levels, and she reached No. 5 at U19; Steelman also represented the USA at the Pan-American Games and won the gold medal in mixed doubles, which included an upset of the top-ranked team from Mexico Madison Soukup has been ranked as high as No. 4 at both the U15 and U17 levels nationally, and she placed 10th in the 2016 GU19 U.S. Closed Championships.
Kate Feeley, Camille Price, Ashley Richards, and Natalie Tung have also had productive offseasons, and Ramsay believes they will be strong competitors from lineup spots throughout the season.
Princeton opens the 2016-17 schedule this weekend with three home matches, all of which will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network. The highlight match should come in the Friday opener, when the Tigers host a deep Stanford squad, currently ranked fifth nationally, at 5:30 pm. Princeton will also host No. 14 Franklin & Marshall (Saturday, 12 pm) and No. 13 George Washington (Sunday, 12 pm) this weekend.
Princeton Athletics 2023-24 Highlights
Tuesday, June 04
Highlights from 2022 Gary Walters ’67 PVC Awards Banquet
Wednesday, June 22
Princeton Athletics 2021-22 Highlights
Monday, June 06
PVC Winter Coaches Luncheon (2022)
Tuesday, March 01