Nov. 1, 2007

As head coach Mark Talbott sees it, 2007-08 could be an historic season for the Cardinal women's squash team. That's because Talbott has strong leadership and a talented freshman class and what he believes is a team that could break into the top division at the National Championships. Stanford has made amazing and unprecedented progress in the national rankings the past three seasons. The Cardinal was ranked 30th in the nation in 2004, and by the end of the 2007 campaign, it had jumped to No. 12 in the country.

This season, the Cardinal will play a demanding schedule that will include trips to national powers Princeton, Penn, Yale, Trinity, and Harvard. The season will culminate in late February when the team will travel to Princeton, New Jersey for the College Squash Association's Team Championship.

Stanford will be lead by 2005-2006 Intercollegiate Champion Lily Lorentzen. Lorentzen has been training rigorously over the course of the summer in hopes of leading the Cardinal to a top eight finish and regaining the number one individual ranking.

Katy Brewster has high hopes to remain healthy this season and continue to take her aggressive style of play to the next level. She was the first top ten ranked national junior recruit in Stanford's brief history and lived up to her expectations with some great performances a year ago.

This year's deep senior class is led by Brooksie Riley. Brooksie was the only experienced ranked junior in the program as a freshman and has been a steadying influence and leader of the team the past three years.

Esther Cheng picked up squash as a freshman at Stanford and has made tremendous progress over the past three years. She will be a key player for Stanford in 2007-08. Stephanie Kwok was a ranked tennis player and competitive rugby player, but converted to squash at the end of her freshman year.

Rachel Deming had some previous squash experience at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut prior to entering Stanford. Cheng and Deming will once again be looked upon to provide leadership and depth.

Karissa Hazy returns to Stanford this year not only to get a Master's degree, but also to finish out her squash career. Her competitive spirit and determination will help the Cardinal against their steepest competition.

Liz Buck will be rooting for Stanford from afar this fall while she studies abroad in Ireland and works to keep her game in shape. Last year's newcomer, Alisa Royer, made huge strides in her first season and will continue to improve and impact the team this year.

The Cardinal's much talked about freshmen class includes Cecilia Haig, Samantha Beuchner, Shannon Harrington, Pam Sherwood, and Cameron Ormsby. This is the Cardinal's most talented freshman class to date and will be the foundation of the Stanford team for the next four years.

Now in their second season as a varsity sport, the Cardinal is optimistic that 2007-08 is the year they make their mark on the national stage.