The team shook off a long bus ride Wednesday afternoon to put together an excellent 5-2 win over Milton, with a number of fantastic exhibition matches as well!
Leading the way were the evens. At #4, ninth-grader Daly Baker snagged the first bagel of the season in the midst of her quick 3-0 win over her opponent (11-1, 11-0, 11-6). At #6, senior Tori Waterfall added another game and another win to her burgeoning squash career, snagging three straight victories, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10 for another Deerfield point. Senior co-captain Cameron Heard played an intense match at #2, trading games with her opponent 11-9, 6-11, 11-8, and 8-11 to tie it up headed into the fifth game. Heard did her absolute best but ultimately fell 5-11 in the final game.
The odds were next on the court. Leading the charge was 10th grade #1 Talbot von Stade. Von Stade cranked out her first game with an 11-5 win but had to fight for the second, 12-10. Her Milton opponent gained some steam and came back with a pair of wins over von Stade, 12-10, 11-8, and it was anyone’s match headed into the fifth game. However, von Stade drew on her fitness and ever-growing squash expertise to notch an 11-4 win and give Deerfield its third point of the day. At #3, senior co-captain Isabella Geraci was unlucky. Though she won her first game 11-5, her opponent clearly warmed up and came back to win the next three games 13-11, 11-8, 11-3 to give Milton a point. At #5, senior co-captain Olivia Geraci grabbed a great 3-1 win over her opponent to secure the victory for Deerfield (11-6, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5). Junior Janis Chen at #7 rounded out the wins for Deerfield with a fifth point, dropping the first game 8-11 but quickly surging back with a pair of 11-6 victories and an 11-5 win to secure the match.
In exhibition, Deerfield had a fantastic showing. At #8, junior Helen Mak won her first game 12-10, stumbled a bit in the second 6-11, but then surged back with a convincing 11-2, 11-6 win for a 3-1 victory. Sophomore Emma Johnson, at #9, had her best and longest match ever: she won 11-7, 13-11, lost two tight games 10-12, 9-11, then eked out a 14-12 win in the fifth game for a fantastic and well-earned win! At #10, ninth grader Caroline Hoff had a fun 3-0 win, besting her opponent 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 to win the day. Finishing out the ladder at #11 was sophomore Daisy Dundas, who put away three games 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 to polish off Deerfield’s perfect day in exhibition.
The team looks forward to another away contest with Loomis on Saturday afternoon and its first home match of the season on Wednesday with Groton!