By Georgetown University Hoyas for the  Georgetown University Hoyas 

WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Director of Athletics Lee Reed announced Wednesday that the University has added women’s squash as its newest varsity program.

Intercollegiate squash is governed by the Collegiate Squash Association (CSA) and will bring Georgetown University’s number of non-NCAA varsity sports total to four.  The addition of women’s squash continues Georgetown’s long history of expanding participation opportunities for female student -athletes and invites a broad experience for the student body.

Squash has been at Georgetown since 2007. The current women’s squash program is the third ranked club team in the country, and ranked No.31 by the CSA making it the top-ranked non-varsity program.  This team will practice and hold all home matches at the exciting new squash venue, Squash on Fire, just two miles from campus.  The new venue features eight courts, including two state-of-the-art all-glass exhibition courts.

Georgetown’s outstanding academic reputation coupled with its national excellence in intercollegiate athletics will enable the new program to attract top student-athletes and coaches.  A national search for a head coach will begin in the coming weeks and will be assisted by Wendy Lawrence, former president of the Women’s College Squash Association.

The CSA season runs from November through late February, culminating with the team championships. The CSA individual championships are held in early March. Georgetown will play the maximum of 15 competition dates. Multiple matches can take place on the same date. This past season, there were 31 women’s varsity programs in the CSA as well as 19 club programs including Georgetown.

“As educators and administrators, we strive to broaden the opportunities on campus and the addition of women’s squash aligns with that mission,” said Reed.  “Intercollegiate athletics play such an important role within the framework of a university and I’m excited that more students will have an opportunity to compete as varsity athletes, as well as the chance to engage with a new segment of the Georgetown community.  As we move ahead, the Department of Athletics will be developing a long-term fundraising plan for this exciting new program.”

“We feel honored to have led a team of amazing women during our senior year at Georgetown. We could not be more proud of our teammates’ hard work and accomplishments. To witness the program take this step is unbelievably rewarding, and we are thrilled to watch the team grow even more as part of the Georgetown Athletics family,” said current club co-captains Kaleigh O’Connor (C’20) and Kaitlin Huges (C’20).

For anyone interested in more information on the women’s squash program, please contact Kelli Myers, Chief of Staff, Associate Athletics Director for Sport Administration at Kelli.Myers@georgetown.edu.

Georgetown Squash Q&A

Q: What is squash?
A: Squash is played indoors on a court designed specifically for the game between two players (singles) or four players (doubles) using a racket and a rubber ball. A player must win best of five games and either the server or the receive may score the point.

Q: How do squash matches work?
A: There are nine singles matches between the two schools. Each match is worth one point towards the team score and consists of best five games to 11 points.

Q: Why is Georgetown adding women’s squash?
A: The University is committed to increasing intercollegiate athletic opportunities for women. Squash provides additional opportunities for female student-athletes and fits into the existing framework of the Department of Athletics to be the 30th varsity sport.

Q: Why can’t the team practice or compete at Yates Field House?
A: The rules of squash and the World Squash Federation determine the facility requirements for a varsity squash program to train and compete efficiently. The WSF recommend the program have five regulation courts at its disposal.  The courts at Yates do not meet the required dimensions.  The team will practice and hold all home matches at the exciting new squash venue, Squash on Fire (SOF), just two miles from campus. The new venue features eight courts, including two state-of-the-art all-glass exhibition courts.  SOF is currently the home for our women’s club squash team for training and competition and Georgetown is fortunate to continue our partnership with one of the best facilities in the country located in D.C.

Q: Which schools will the Hoyas face?
A: The addition of women’s squash at Georgetown fits into its academic profile and aligns with its academic peer institutions. Currently, Georgetown women’s squash competes in the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference which includes George Washington, Drexel, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Mt. Holyoke and Virginia. The schedule for the 2020-21 season will be developed this spring and GU will play a majority of its matches against varsity programs during the inaugural season as a varsity sport.

Q: What are the differences between club and varsity sports?
A: Varsity sports fall under the guidance of and are funded by the athletics department. As a varsity sport, the Georgetown women’s squash program will follow the rules and guidelines of the department. Club sports teams do not have full-time coaches and support staff. In addition, practices and games are determined by the student officers of the club and the club may not require a full-year commitment from its members.

Q: How can I support the squash program?
A: Georgetown is looking forward to engaging the Hoya community and alumni base to aid in supporting the women’s squash program.  The goal will be to build a plan to help fund the program through generous philanthropic support consistent with the model used for other programs.  If you are interested in supporting the Georgetown women’s squash program, please contact Scarlett Schneider, Senior Director of Development for Athletics at Scarlett.schneider@georgetown.edu.

Q: I’m interested in trying out, who should I contact for information?
A: For anyone interested in more information on the women’s squash program, please contact Kelli Myers, Chief of Staff, Associate Athletics Director for Sport Administration at Kelli.Myers@georgetown.edu.