Jan. 13, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Coming off an 8-8 season and a No. 6 ranking in the Dunlop Women's College Squash final rankings, Stanford's squash program opens the 2011-12 season ranked sixth in the country.

The Cardinal began the season with a 5-1 East Coast swing that included victories against Hamilton (9-0), Middlebury College (9-0), Cornell (7-2), Williams College (9-0) and Mont Holyoke College (9-0). The Cardinal's only loss came in the first match of the season against Harvard (3-6).

2010-11 first-team All-American Pamela Chua returns along with a strong supporting cast.

"Pamela really played well last year and we're excited about her this year," said head coach Mark Talbott. "Our team has a nice mix of veterans and some promising newcomers which should make for an exciting season."

The team returns seniors Kathryn Corelli, Aditi Maliwal, Kyla Sherwood and Leah Stork along with Kerrie Sample, Julie Koenig, Julia Hemmendinger and Serena Fagan.

Freshmen Madeline Gill, Alexandra Huchro and Ariel Posner have had their first taste of collegiate competition with Alex Yorke and Margie Saunders waiting in the wings.

"We have a solid group of players returning from last season," said head coach Mark Talbott. "As we progress throughout the season it will be interesting to see how the lineup evolves. We want to be in the best position possible when the postseason begins."

A mix of veteran leadership and promising freshmen should make for a successful season for the Cardinal but the season's success is yet to be determined.

"We're always looking to finish as high in the rankings as possible," said Talbott. "I'm looking forward to an exciting season."