Princeton University
George Washington
Tigers Open Season With Win at George Washington
November 17, 2019 | Women's Squash
"Today we had a great match against GW, winning our first match of the season 8-1," Princeton's Emme Leonard said. "We all entered the match hungry to start the season off on the right note, and that's exactly what we accomplished. I played at the #2 position and won my match 3-1. After losing the first game, I knew I had to refocus my attention to hitting better length and that's exactly what I did. Once I established my length and gained more confidence, I was able to execute my game plan and play a good game of squash. One thing that I have been working on throughout the preseason is mental toughness. After being 0-1 down, I adjusted my game and implemented some of the mental strength strategies that I have been working on with Dr. Julie (Amato), (assistant coach) Hesham (Aly), and (head coach) Gail (Ramsay). I am very happy with how we all played and very excited to take up UVA, Stanford, and Drexel next weekend!"
"I think everyone was a bit nervous in the first round of matches, but as that round finished up, I could of see the confidence grow," Ramsay said. "Morgan (Steelman) put in a strong showing winning in three. She played a more aggressive style and I think just the mindset helped her get her game on track. Emme struggled in the first game but by the end of that game she seemed to figure she need to improve her length and be a little bit more patient. I was excited to see (freshmen) Caroline (Spahr), India (Stephenson) and Lucy (Stephenson) play so well in their first matches as Tigers. They all showed good maturity and were happy to be out there competing. They represented Princeton well."
"We started off the season with great energy today against GW," India Stephenson said. "We have been working so hard during preseason, and that was evident during every single match today. Overall, we each dominated the court and played with great confidence. I played at the #9 spot and was super eager to start my first official match. I focused on playing a simple game that was focused around dominating the middle of the court and hitting corners. I felt solid through the match and was able to execute my shots with confidence. I was super excited to get my first college squash win. Our team played great squash today and I have no doubt that we will continue this momentum into our tripleheader next weekend."
"In today's match I was super excited to be representing Princeton in our first match of the season," Andrea Toth said. "I was naturally a little nervous before I went on, but I really tried to go into the match as I would any other match during practice. I think I did a good job of controlling my nerves and staying calm throughout the match, allowing myself to play smart and really working my opponent."
Zoe Foo Yuk Han (GW) def. Raneem El Torky (Princeton), 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-4)
Emme Leonard (Princeton) def. Engy Elmandouh (GW), 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8)
Andrea Toth (Princeton) def. Emma Tryon (GW), 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6)
Caroline Spahr (Princeton) def. Zuha Nazir (GW), 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
Elle Ruggiero (Princeton) def. Vedika Arunachalam (GW), 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-3)
Morgan Steelman (Princeton) def. Nikki Pang (GW), 3-0 (11-1, 11-8, 11-2)
Emily Rose (Princeton) def. Sasha Hinckley (GW), 3-0 (11-4, 11-0, 11-1)
Madison Soukup (Princeton) def. Aarushi Lakhotia (GW), 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-3)
India Stephenson (Princeton) def. Aariya Patel (GW), 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-8)
10th match: Lucy Stephenson (Princeton) def. Anna Moscovici (GW), 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-4)
Players Mentioned
