2010-11 Season Reviews
Men’s Review
Signature Wins: The Fords picked up three regular season wins over opponents who fared well at the College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championship. Haverford took down Drexel, 6-3, in November. The Dragons went on to win the Sereus Division consolation championship at the CSA’s. The Fords downed Johns Hopkins, 6-3, in early December before departing for winter break. Hopkins advanced to the Chaffee Division consolation final at the CSA Team Championship before falling to Boston College. The Eagles defeated HC in the previous round. The Fords’ most impressive win arguably came in early February when they beat Vanderbilt, 6-3. Haverford fell to the Commodores in the first round of the CSA’s and Vanderbilt went on to take the Chaffee Division championship.
Season Notes: Chris Tyson’s 10 wins led the team for the second consecutive season. He proved to be a solid contributor at the Nos. 4 and 5 positions and finished the season winning all three of his matches at the CSA Team Championship. Zef Konst, Andy McComas and Alex Spiliotes all shared time at the No. 1 position. Konst and Spiliotes both picked up three victories at that spot and finished the season with eight and seven wins, respectively.
Looking Ahead: The Fords return their entire roster for the 2011-12 campaign. The valuable experience gained by Konst, McComas, Spiliotes and Tyson will provide one of the best lineups Haverford has had at the CSA Team Championships next season.
Women’s Review
Signature Wins: With a number of players new to squash, the Fords blossomed under first-year head coach Niki Clement. The steady progression of her squad came to fruition when Haverford defeated Vanderbilt in the second round of the E Division at the Howe Cup. The win avenged a loss to Vanderbilt earlier in February by the same score.
Season Notes: Alisa Strayer led Haverford with four wins on the season. Caroline Nightingale and Kara Percival both finished with three wins. Nightingale took on the tough task of playing at the No. 1 position as a freshman .
Looking Ahead: The Fords return 11 players for the 2011-12 season. With more seasoning and experience at the collegiate level, Haverford will expect improved results across the board next season.
2010-11 Season Outlooks
Men’s Outlook
The 2010-11 Haverford College men’s squash team returns nearly its entire starting lineup from a season ago and in addition to new head coach Niki Clement, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the program.
The Fords will be led by junior co-captains Zef Konst and Alex Spiliotes. The duo combined for 18 wins last season and through preseason workouts have impressed their new head coach.
“They are motivated and very hard workers who have applied themselves as captains,” said Clement.
Sophomore Andy McComas will join Konst and Spiliotes, playing in the top-three positions. As a freshman McComas won six matches at the No. 1 position.
“All three of these guys have been receptive to my teaching style and practice plans,” Clement said. “They’re applying what they learn in practice and are eager to play.”
The middle of the lineup will likely be filled by sophomore Matt Liscovitz, junior Robbie Thompson and sophomore Chris Tyson.
“As a group they’re confident because they’re physically strong,” believes Clement.
Liscovitz gained experience as a rookie playing at the Nos. 3-5 spots. Tyson tied for the team-lead last year with nine wins while Thompson is a newcomer who shows promise.
“Robbie has good technique which will be important in close matches,” explained Clement.
Rounding out Clement’s ladder are senior Andrew Wee and sophomores Tim Ibbotson-Sindelar and Zeek Barnett. All three saw significant time last season. Wee and Ibbotson-Sindelar both picked up four wins.
“These three have potential and room to grow,” Clement said.
Junior David Chang and sophomores Peter Boal and Harry Gallway will compete for playing time thanks to their eagerness Clement said.
The enthusiasm and talent of this bunch could lead the Fords to unprecedented success this winter.
Women’s Outlook
The start of a new season brings some new faces to the Haverford College women’s squash team in 2010-11. New head coach Niki Clement welcomes seven newcomers to the program and she sees potential throughout her roster.
“It’s easy to run practice with this group,” Clement said. “They get right to work and don’t cut any corners.”
That dedication from the squad could end up paying dividends as they develop through the course of the season.
Sticking true to the theme of new players, playing at No. 1 in the lineup will be freshman Caroline Nightingale. According to Clement, the talented rookie earned the top-spot based on her performance at practice and is looking forward to the challenge.
Nightingale will be supported at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions by co-captains Kira Jones and Jenny Tong. Jones, a junior, and Tong, a senior, played in the middle of the order last season.
“They both have exemplified good leadership which has helped make the team a cohesive unit,” said Clement.
In the preseason, Clement has been working with both to improve certain aspects of their game which will pay off in the long run.
Sophomore Randee Johnson and Katherine Pryor along with seniors Cristina Morais and Daphne Paparis will see plenty of playing time in the middle of the order. All four have room to grow and have shown signs of that already, but Clement is most excited about the experience they bring.
“The experience all four have will help a lot of the newcomers learn how to deal with pre-match jitters,” Clement believes.
A pair of those newcomers will round out Haverford’s lineup. Seniors Kara Percival and Eliza Williams are new to squash, but bring plenty of athleticism to the court. Percival, a one-time soccer player and cross country runner at Haverford , and Williams, who played field hockey, have been improving at an amazing rate through the preseason and Clement thinks their prior experience in athletic endeavors will help them deal with pressure situations.
“There’s plenty of room for improvement for Kara and Eliza, but they’ve been putting in extra work at practice to get better,” Clement said. “Despite being new to the program, they’ve been setting an example for others.”
With the hard work that is being put in by the Fords, it will only be a matter of time before it comes to fruition on the court and leads to success this season.