Celia Gallagher ’21 | Ella Sundstrom ’21
Photo courtesy of Twitter Account @EASquash1785
Kristen Weil ‘21 has earned her spot at number one on the Girl’s Squash Team this winter. Starting her squash career in fifth grade, Weil’s favorite moment playing for EA Squash was “during a big Inter-Ac match and we were tied four-four and it was the final match. It was so exciting seeing our final teammate play, we love supporting each other. To be able to support all the other girls on the team, I think that’s a big part of why our team is so important and special.” Weil also shares, “It’s great with a team of nine girls. Even though we play a match as individuals, we all have a really close bond and it really brings our team together.”
Weil also comments on this upcoming season saying, “This year, it’s a really big season for us. We have a lot of freshmen. Most of our top nine, which play in matches, are freshmen. It’s really exciting to see how our team is evolving over the years as a junior because we are becoming so much stronger.” Weil also speaks on this year’s Squash Nationals Tournament saying, “The pressure is really on for us because last year we finished fifth. This year, we hope to finish in the top five.”
Weil shares her hopes to have a future in squash, saying, “I’m hoping to play college squash. I love squash because it’s a lifetime sport, and because it is such a small community, you are very close with so many squash players that you are able to form lifetime relationships through the game itself.”
Episcopal’s Varsity Squash Coach Deming Holleran, who has been the coach at EA for three years, shared her thoughts on Weil, speaking to her impressive number one position on the team. “She is our number one player this year, so her talent is obviously very impressive. But her work ethic is as much as that.” Holleran also notes Weil’s increased dedication, “She has, particularly in the last year, been really dedicated to squash. It’s been a long term passion for her, and she’s been really self-motivated as well which is great for everyone to see.”
Holleran echos Weil’s thoughts about the upcoming season, “We are a little stronger than expected, even though we have a lot of freshmen currently playing between number four and number nine. I think they are really holding up well and really getting used to varsity squash, which has helped us as we are strong at the top three with very experienced players.”
Holleran also shared her feelings about the season ahead saying, “I’m excited. We don’t know where we are going to be seeded yet. Last year, we were fifth at Nationals, and I believe for the last two years fifth. This year, with a young team, it would be great to fall in a similar range. We typically have some fun matches against different schools, like boarding schools, that we don’t get to play in the regular season. So, it’s a matter of us rising to the occasion when we play those teams.”