Blue Devils freshman Winslow Tracy draws a bead on the ball for a forehand shot. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy girls' squash fans haven't had to spend a lot of time watching matches this winter. There haven't been many teams on the schedule that are evenly matched with the Blue Devils, and one way or the other, lopsided bouts up and down the team ladder have caused many encounters to end pretty quickly.

SCH has had the upper hand in most of these contests, and another was added to the list last Wednesday, when the Blue Devils defeated visiting Shipley School, 9-0. The local racquetwomen did not lose a single game as they raised their record to 5-3.

One drawback was that this was another day when spectators could not observe the Blue Devils' talented Taylor sisters in action. Sophomore Whitney and freshman Nathalie, who play in the number one and two positions on the team, respectively, were once again given a day off as SCH bumped other players up at least two flights in an effort to accommodate an opponent that is not as strong.

Against Shipley, the Blue Devils also took the court without two other athletes who normally play in the middle of the line-up, sophomore Lucy Pearson and eighth-grader Allie Stoddard.

In the closest of the team's three setbacks, these two players, along with freshman Winslow Tracy, had accounted for the victories in a 3-6 loss to Episcopal Academy on January 15.

Last Wednesday the Blue Devils had senior captains Abbie Rorke and Maggie Pearson (Lucy's sister) holding down the number one and two positions, respectively. Both will be going on to top notch academic schools, Rorke to Penn and Pearson to Amherst.

Rorke proceeded past visiting number one Sarah Caplan, 11-0, 11-3, 11-6, while Pearson conquered Karly Terlovich of the Gators, 11-5, 11-2, 11-0.

Both Mazzarelli sisters came through for the home team, as well, with Celia, a junior, sinking Susanna Ulricht in the third spot, 11-4, 11-3, 11-3, while at number eight Anna, a freshman, turned in scores of 11-2, 11-0, 11-5 against Shipley's Sophie Slater.

SCH junior Charlotte Stahlecker goes after the ball at the rear of the court. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

With Nathalie Taylor sitting out, Tracy headed up the freshman contingent for Springside Chestnut Hill, downing visiting number five Victoria Zarett, 11-1, 11-6, 11-1.

Just above and just below her on the ladder were two 11th graders. Charlotte Stahlecker secured the number four match, winning 11-8, 11-2, 11-5 against Georgia Paynter of the Bryn Mawr bunch, and Nicole Giegerich bested Shipley number six Zoe Morse, 11-1, 11-8, 11-7.

SCH sophomore Ava Zimmer overcame Shipley's Ella Nevo, 11-2, 11-2, 11-3 at number seven, and in the ninth position freshman Isabella DeCesare dispatched the Gators' Lindsey Davis, 11-2, 11-0, 11-7. DeCesare was already playing varsity golf for the Blue Devils when she was in seventh grade.