They have no coaches. They have little money. And they have no adequate University practice facilities.
But the men’s and women’s squash teams at U.Va. have lots of spunk and talent, judging from national championships they brought home from a tournament at Harvard in February.
The women defeated Colgate (8-1), Columbia (6-3) and Wesleyan (7-2) to claim the Epps Cup in Division D. The men bested Fordham (8-1), Drexel (6-3) and Colgate (7-2) to take the Chafee Cup in Division E.
The Drexel match was particularly tense, says Patrick Whelan, president and captain of the men’s team. The Cavs were down 1-2 after the first round (three pairs play at a time in three rounds). “We were in a tight spot because we knew that their No. 1 player was a very, very good player and probably would beat our No. 1 player. But we ended up winning all three and went on to win 6-3.”
The women’s squad benefited from some expert guidance. One of the players’ parents arranged to have top pro Natalie Granger come coach before the tournament.
“It was very cool to have the world’s No. 1 player in Charlottesville,” says co-captain Sarah Hawkins.
U.Va. has won squash championships before—the women in 2006, the men in 2003. Both squads look for the sport to gain interest and, possibly, evolve into a varsity program.
“The players and parents would love that,” Whelan says.
Comments
It’s great for UVA squash to get some coverage. As president and caption of the Chafee Division championship team in 2003, I know how much of a struggle it is for UVA students to practice and compete. I applaud the current players for their dedication. Without adequate courts on campus, the club still has to use the Albermarle Racket Club courts to practice. I remember going to the athletic center when I first arrived in Charlotteville as a 1st year and asking if they had a squash program. They hadn’t even heard of the sport! Now UVA has been to Nationals every year since 2003. Keep up the good work!
What is happening now with UVA squash? Since winning Nationals in their Division, the team disappeared. Is the school supporting the students’ efforts to create a team. I didn’t even get a call back from the Athletics Office when I left a # of messages. I am certain that there are plenty of alum hoping to support this sport.
A Ciaccio,
The teams are still going strong and we love to hear that people in the University community are interested in promoting the sport. Both teams are still operating at the club level, which might explain the silence from the athletic department. I’m transitioning in as coach for both the men’s and women’s teams and we have been working hard to make some noise in the upcoming squash nationals. We are also working on setting up a website. For now, the Charlottesville Squash Blog (http://www.charlottesvillesquash.com) is “hosting” team information.
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