Deerfield cranked out a firm 6-1 win over Groton to round out the beginning of the season before winter break. Leading the charge were the evens. At #2, sophomore Talbot von Stade produced a set of beautiful games (11-2, 11-3, 11-1) on her way to a 3-0 win. At #6, senior co-captain Olivia Geraci dropped the first game 9-11 but then came back for a run of three tough but excellent wins 11-7, 12-10, 11-5 to give Deerfield another point. Senior co-captain Isabella Geraci at #4 had a tough day — while she won the first game in a blistering 11-2 run, her opponent then delivered three intense games 11-7, 11-9, 16-14 to give Groton its only point of the day. The odds had an excellent showing: ninth-grader Daly Baker up at #1 double-bageled her opponent and then got an 11-2 win in the third game, in what was perhaps the quickest #1 squash match in Deerfield’s history. Senior co-captain Cameron Heard at #3 stayed focused and had three great wins, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9 to give Deerfield another point. Team newcomer and senior Victoria Waterfall traded games with her opponent 11-4, 9-11, then, fired up, went 11-7, 11-4 in the third and fourth games for yet another Deerfield victory. Stepping up to the plate in her first match as part of the top seven was sophomore Emma Johnson, who traded games with her opponent and went to five in front of a large crowd! Johnson snatched a thrilling victory from the jaws of her opponent for Deerfield’s sixth and final point of the day, a real triumph considering her long journey from the bottom of the ladder!
Deerfield’s exhibition players were perfect for the day — junior Helen Mak, ninth-graders Isha Rao and Caroline Hoff, and sophomore Daisy Dundas refused Groton even a single win throughout all of their contests. The team heads off to break with a satisfying brace of wins under their belt and hopes to build on their streak in 2019!