The Deerfield girls’ varsity squash team welcomed the Hotchkiss Bearcats to the Dewey Squash Center for the home opener of their 2019/20 season. In the first round of play, team captain, Isabella Rolfe ’21, led the way hitting great length and remaining highly focused while working her way to a 3-0 victory at the 2 spot; Willow Woodward ’22, playing number 4, played with precision and diligence and remained in front of her opponent throughout her 3-0 win; Maeve Baker ’23, in her first match as a member of the Deerfield squad, had a wonderfully strong showing at number 6 keeping her opponent behind her throughout the match and putting away each point with careful court placement; and Emma Kahle ‘22, also playing in her first match for DA, after taking the first game to figure out when and how to end points against her opponent, took the 3-0 victory as well. The second round started off equally well with co-captain and senior Griffin Dewey working hard to remain focused on shot selection and keeping her opponent under pressure, leading to a 3-0 win; Sarah Stonestreet, ’21, had a wonderfully smooth and technically sound match at number 5 with minimal errors, leading to a decisive 3-0 win; Daly Baker ’22, after making the leap from the JV crew up to the Varsity, clicked right into gear ending her match in just over fifteen minutes, showing a strong poise and a clear readiness to play at the varsity level; and Devon L’Esperance ‘22, playing in her first match as the DA number 1, faced off against a very strong Hotchkiss opponent, Ellie Burke, and took the match to the fifth game going point for point, until she ultimately made a few untimely errors that allowed Ellie to take control of the final game and eventually the match. Strong first showing for DA, and we’re looking forward to a great week ahead with Milton on Wednesday.