The women’s team started as a club team in 1975 and was granted varsity status the next year. However, they did not have a coach, nor did they have funding from the college. Regardless, four members from the ’76 team went to nationals, and the team tied for twelfth place. In 1977, Ron McEachen was hired to be the team’s first coach. In that same year, the women travelled to compete in the Howe Cup for the first time. The team enjoyed increasing success through the late 70s and early 80s, and in 1986, a new head coach, Coach David Saward, was hired. Then, in 1995, the team captured the Walker Cup for the first time.
With the beginning of the new century came new promise for the Women’s Squash team. At the time, the 2000 team was said to have “had more success than any other team in Panther squash history,” and they moved up to eleven in the national rankings. The 2004 Women’s team made history again as they took home the Walker Cup for the second time in school history. In 2005 another landmark event occurred for the women as they competed in the first ever NESCAC Tournament. That season, they also won the Walker Cup for the third time. The 2008 season was one for the record books as they set a school record with nineteen wins, only to go on to top that with twenty wins the following season. The 2011 team was the runner-up for the NESCAC Championship, the best finish for the women in the six years that the tournament had existed. Building upon the previous year’s success, the 2012 team finished the season ranked third overall among Division 3 schools and was voted the most improved team in the nation.
Please see the detailed history of women’s squash via our pages, listed by decade, below. Also linked is a list of individual and team awards.