Thinking Big

STANFORD, Calif. – Depth, momentum and home matches.

 All add up to optimism this season for the Stanford women's squash team.

In 2015-16, the Cardinal posted a 12-6 record and climbed to fourth nationally following a 5-4 victory against No. 2 Trinity, the program's first against a top three-ranked opponent. Stanford gave Yale all it could handle before losing 5-4 in the national team championships and finished as the Howe Cup consolation runner-up.

Head coach Mark Talbott lost No. 1 player Madeleine Gill to graduation, but landed highly-touted freshmen Chole Chemtob from Winter Park, Florida, and Casey Wong from Ruxton, Maryland. Both are making their presence felt.
"We've definitely gotten stronger," said Talbott, whose squad is fifth in preseason rankings. "Chloe and Casey were two of the best players in the country last year, so that makes a huge difference. We have 14 players -- the most we've ever had -- and they're strong all the way down."
Talbott is thrilled about the leadership and work ethic of senior captains CC Ho, Bailey Bondy and Julia Olson. Ho earned All-American honors last season by winning her flight in the B-Draw at the CSA National Championships.

"They've all been significant contributors and CC has always been near the top of the lineup," said Talbott. "She's such an inspirational leader. She has a great attitude and everybody likes and respects her."

Olson is one of four senior class presidents.

Ho believes the infusion of new talent has already raised the level of everyone's play.
"From the moment they got on campus, they have been pushing us," she said.
Ho has a 3.76 grade point average in computer science and plans to attend medical school. She would like to become a surgeon or work in emergency medicine
.
"Something active," said Ho.

Since she arrived at Stanford, the squash program has improved steadily under Talbott and assistant coach Richard Elliott.

"When I first got here, we were at the bottom of the top tier," Ho said. "I remember looking at colleges and just wanted a team that would be really fun and a coach I wanted to play for. That's exactly what I have experienced. It's a bonus that our team has continued to get better and maintained the fun side."

The Cardinal wound up sixth last season and have a goal of finishing in the top five.

"The main thing we've been working on is getting them to relax," said Talbott. "When the matches don't mean anything, everybody plays well. We want them to play like they practice."

Most elite squash programs are on the East Coast. As a result, the Cardinal travel more than any other school, often playing multiple teams in two or three days. It did not have a home match last season.That will change in 2016-17. Stanford will host four matches, including perennial powerhouses Harvard (Jan. 19), Yale (Jan. 21) and Penn (Jan. 22).

Talbott is especially excited about Yale. He coached the Bulldogs for six seasons and won a national title before coming to The Farm in 2004. His older brother, Dave, is the head coach.

"He's threatened to bring his team out for many years, so we'll see if he shows," said Talbott. "They've always been stronger. Last year at nationals it was 4-4 and we had never gotten that close. That margin has gotten tight."

Not that Talbott is looking ahead. Stanford begins the season Nov. 18 at Princeton.

"They've always been ranked ahead of us and are one of the top three teams in the country," he said.

A non-scholarship program, Stanford will make at least four East Coast treks. Talbott also coaches the men's club team. When class conflicts occur, it is not unusual for women to practice with the men.

"He's really shaped the way I view life," said Ho. "You can tell every day that he's excited to wake up and is just like a little kid inside. He's one of a kind."

Talbott's knowledge, success and easy-going approach have played a large part in the program's rise. Majors for current team members vary from engineering and human biology to mathematics and psychology.

All are passionate about academics and athletics.

Ho was a Pan Am Games 15-under badminton champion in 2009; Olson earned all-state in five events and helped lead her high school track and field team to the Missouri Class 3 title in 2011; Grayson Melby collected a school-record 13 letters at Germantown French High in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania and led her team to the state semifinals in lacrosse and soccer; Caroline Kimmel of Rye, New York, qualified for the Penn Relays; Christie Huchro was a four-time all-conference golfer at Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, Connecticut; and Tatyanna Dadabbo garnered a state doubles title in tennis at Marian Catholic High in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Talbott helps them thrive in and out of the classroom.

A former professional player, he was ranked No. 1 in North America for 12 years. Talbott won more than 160 titles and was inducted into the Squash Hall of Fame in 2000.

"Practice for all of us is kind of a safe haven," Ho said. "It's something we look forward to every day. That's how I've been able to focus on my schoolwork while improving my squash."