The women's squash team began its 2005-06 season plagued by inexperience, but early struggles gave way to a strong finish as players settled in and gained confidence. Though the Jeffs finished seventh in the NESCAC Tournament, the tail end of the regular season saw Amherst snatching victories from both Mt. Holyoke College and NESCAC rival Colby College. Other highlights included the Jeffs' 8-1 domination over Little Three foe Wesleyan University at the Howe Cup National Championship playoffs, and an individual hard-fought five-game win by Emily Obrien '07 against Franklin & Marshall University, which tipped a 5-4 team victory in Amherst's favor and opened the door to the division championships. In the finals, the team fell to William Smith College, 3-6.

The Jeffs embark on their 2006-07 campaign with much more experience. All the top five starters from the previous season are returning, with O'Brien and Caroline Shannon '07 serving as co-captains. The other competitors are seniors Sarah Harper and Abby Mantica, as well as junior Libby Martin, who is abroad for the fall semester but is expected to return to the courts in full force in January. Elsewhere in the top nine, juniors Di Kirkwood and Heather Nowak will make key contributions.

Hannah Merves '10 is the only incoming first-year, and she is expected to fit somewhere in the middle of the ladder and post some key wins. The team also hopes to see key contributions from the other new members, notably Melissa Moulton '09, who also plays tennis for Amherst.

The co-captains have high hopes for the team's new additions. "Hannah is a great addition to the team. She is very enthusiastic and very eager to learn and improve," said Shannon. "Melissa has shown great improvement already and has been a positive team player. We expect her to be a great competitor."

Looking ahead, the team is determined to build off of the strong finish to their last season and has set a concrete goal of qualifying for the second bracket at the national championships. Ranked 18th in the nation at the end of the 2005-2006 season, the Jeffs just barely missed the top-16 cutoff, and hope to move up the rankings this year. More generally, with players moving up the ladder into the top nine, the team hopes to see its members improving their skill levels and gaining competitive experience. But most importantly, over the season, Shannon said, the team hopes to "achieve [its] goals of improving and having fun as a team."

Returning to more immediate concerns, the Jeffs are ready to kick their season off on a high note. The team faces off against Northeastern University at home today, and have matches lined up against NESCAC contenders Trinity College and Tufts University next week.

NESCAC Notes

In the CSA Preseason Coaches Poll, Amherst is ranked 19th in the nation. At the top in the NESCAC, Williams College is ranked seventh and Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Colleges round out the 10th through 12th spots respectively.