GW Women's Squash Season Outlook
10/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Squash
The George Washington women's squash team has much to be proud of after achieving a pair of program firsts last season. The Colonials competed in the Kurtz Cup (A-Division) of the College Squash Association National Championship for the first time ever and finished the year tied for No. 7 in the final CSA National Poll, the highest end-of-season ranking in program history.
However, it is a new year and a new season is set to begin on Friday when the Colonials host Georgetown at the Matthew J. Grossman Squash Courts at Lerner Health & Wellness Center.
The team is still very proud of its accomplishments from last season, but head coach Wendy Lawrence is cautiously optimistic headed into 2015-16. While repeating, and even surpassing, last year's success is obviously the primary goal, she is quick to point out how difficult the task at hand is.
"The thrill of being in the A-Division was euphoric and finishing tied for seventh was a great accomplishment," said Coach Lawrence. "It is incredibly difficult to stay in the top eight, and even more so to move up once there. The challenge for us this season is, how hard did we work over the summer and how will we play in this fall semester? Our hope is to be more fit and stronger than ever before. We are doing more conditioning and cardio than we ever have. Now we have to put that hard work into results on the court."
GW will be challenged throughout its 2015-16 schedule, with five teams on the docket that concluded last season in the top-10 of the CSA National Poll.
"In our less challenging first semester, our big matches will be against Penn and Dartmouth," said Coach Lawrence. "We have a more challenging second semester when we hope to be at full strength with our lineup."
"Overall, we are looking forward to a strong season," continued Coach Lawrence. "We have two new players and both will play in the top nine. We hope to show that we deserve to be in the the A-Division by year's end and our ultimate goal is to improve upon last year. We want to stay there and we want to move up."
Projected Ladder
1. Anna Gabriela Porras -- Senior -- Bogota, Colombia
Porras earned Second Team All-America honors from the College Squash Association for the third consecutive season last year and will once again play number one for the Colonials. She has 42 career victories and needs just five more to become GW's all-time career wins leader. Of her 42 career wins, 36 have come in straight sets.
Coach Lawrence on Porras: "Gaby is a three-time Second Team All-American and hopes to go out with a bang. She is a top player on this team and a top student-athlete here at GW. She is consistent, she plays to win and her competitive spirit is second to none."
2. Breanne Flynn - Junior - Dublin, Ireland
Flynn has won 25 matches across her first two seasons and went 7-2 across the final nine matches of her sophomore campaign. She has won in straight sets in 21 of her 25 career wins.
Coach Lawrence on Flynn: "Breanne is always trying to move into that top spot on the ladder. She is a captain this year and has taken more of a leadership role. She has been a huge part of this team over her first two seasons. She and Gaby push each other in practice every day and they make each other better. It is a nice duo to have at the top of the ladder."
3. Mary Jo Mahfood - Sophomore- Kingston, Jamaica
Mahfood won four matches in her debut season and will open her sophomore campaign in the top third of the ladder. She is no stranger to high-pressure situations after competing for the Jamaican Junior National Team and a successful scholastic career at the Lawrenceville School.
Coach Lawrence on Mahfood: "Mary Jo is one of the most athletic players on our team. She is hoping to maintain a slot in the top three this season, which is an improvement on last season when she played in the middle third of the lineup."
4. Abby Shonrock - Sophomore - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Shonrock had a standout debut season as a freshman, tying for second on the team with nine wins while playing at five different positions on the ladder during the season. She notched three victories against opponents from top-ten programs as a freshman.
Coach Lawrence on Shonrock: "Abby is always a hard worker and she is hitting the ball really well right now. You can tell that she was committed to improving over the summer and it is showing this fall. She has the potential to move up higher than number four on the ladder this year."
5. Alexa Tzarnas - Senior - Merion, Pennsylvania
Tzarnas has 26 career victories and has continually improved in each of her first three seasons as a Colonial. Last season she went 8-3 playing primarily in the bottom third of the ladder.
Coach Lawrence on Tzarnas: "Alexa is a senior and she is looking to close out her career on a high note. She has really evolved over her career and has moved up the ladder in each season. She has been a big part of our success the past few years and will play the same role this season.
6. Emely Levyn - Senior - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Levyn has posted 28 career victories in her first three seasons and will be the anchor of GW's middle third of the ladder. Last season she tallied seven victories, with six coming in straight sets.
Coach Lawrence on Levyn: "Emely is a two-year captain and another big part of this team along with the other seniors. She is a little banged up right now but if she can stay healthy, she has the potential to have a huge senior season."
7. Eunice Tan - Senior - Perak, Malyasia
Tan played to a 6-3 record as a junior before suffering a season-ending injury. She will be sidelined for the fall semester as she works her way back from surgery.
Coach Lawrence on Tan: "Eunice, after two knee surgeries in a four-month span, has not played since last fall. She is working very hard in rehab just trying to work her way back into playing shape and to get strong for the second semester."
8. Mehak Chawla - Junior - Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Chawla has 14 victories across her first two seasons and will continue to play a critical role in the bottom third of the ladder.
Coach Lawrence on Chawla: "Mehak is looking to improve on her win-loss ratio in her sophomore season. She had some tough matches last year and fought through some injuries. We need her to be there to strengthen the bottom third of the ladder."
9. Brooke Feldman - Freshman - Margate, New Jersey
Feldman joins the Colonials after a four-year scholastic career at Atlantic City High School. She achieved a US Squash Junior Ranking of No. 58 in the Girls Under-19 Division.
Coach Lawrence on Feldman: "Brooke is a strong junior player from New Jersey who will hold down the ninth spot on the ladder. She is a really quick athlete and is very enthusiastic and eager to learn and get better."
Ginger Sands - Sophomore - Greenwich, Connecticut
Sands has international experience after competing for the United States Junior Team at 2012 World Maccabiah Games.
Coach Lawrence on Sands: "I have high hopes that when Ginger is eligible in the second semester she will slot easily into the top nine."
Erica Chemtob - Sophomore - Winter Park, Florida
Coach Lawrence on Chemtob: "Erica worked very hard over the summer and she will always be fighting to break into the top nine."
Jessica Perkins - Junior - Kingston, Jamaica
Coach Lawrence on Perkins: "Jessica returns to the team after spending last year abroad in Barcelona. She will provide depth to the lineup throughout the season."
Players Mentioned
