Episcopal Academy Girls Squash Team Closes out Championship Season

For Immediate Release Date: 3/15/05 Contact: Michael Letts, Director of Communications Phone: 610.617.2248 Email: [email protected]

EPISCOPAL ACADEMY GIRLS SQUASH TEAM CLOSES OUT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

Merion, PA – The Episcopal Academy Varsity Girls Squash team posted an unbelievable season, sweeping the Inter Ac 10-0 and going on to win the Mid-Atlantic School Association (MASA) league championship.

The season was characterized by eventful wins late in the matches. Coach Demer Holleran describes the year as one where different individuals “repeatedly pulled through in the clutch.” Matches were close and in a few instances the expected favorites from other schools were defeated by the EA players due to sheer determination.

Two particularly close matches were the 4-3 wins over Inter-Ac rival Penn Charter. The first dual match saw next year’s captain, Sandra Mumanachit, beat the greatly favored Penn Charter captain, Ali Brady. Important wins came from captains Maxi Prinsen and Madeline Lurio in close contests as well. The second PC match was tied 3-3 when Logan Greer at #1 upset Britt Hebden, a player she had never before beaten.

In the MASA championships Episcopal came away with one of the closest margins of victory in years, defeating Penn Charter by two points. Two key wins in the event came from Maxi Prinsen, who won her division, and from Annie Madeira who finished first in her division, playing a teammate in the final, Lexi Van Arkel, who had avenged two previous losses to PC’s Kiera Murasko-Blank in the semi finals.

Episcopal played matches outside metro Philadelphia as well. In a dual match the team defeated perennial New England champion, Greenwich Academy, in a nail biting 4-3 battle. Again, with the score tied 3-3 and behind in games, Logan Greer came through with a tremendously gutsy performance winning with a 3-2 score. EA went on to be the finalists in the National High School Team Championships held at Yale University. Of all of these down-to-the-wire victories, match coach, Dawn Gray said, “The heart of the team was very spirited this year and it took different players at different times to make this season a success. It was exciting for me as their coach to watch each of them mature during the season and put it together to form a ‘team’ and not just be individuals playing a match.”

This year’s captains were seniors Madeline Lurio and Maxi Prinsen. Awarded both the best player and most improved player this year was sophomore Logan Greer, who snagged the under 17 National Title at the recent Junior National Championships.

Coach Holleran summed up the season, “It has been exciting to see players develop and produce great wins late in the year.” Three of the eight varsity players are graduating this year.

Photo ID: From left to right: Coach Dawn Gray, Sandra Mumanachit, Logan Greer, Maxi Prinsen, Madeline Lurio, Alexandra Van Arkel, Dana Reilly, Emily Halpern.

For more information, call Michael Letts, director of communications, at 610-617-2248.

Founded in 1785, The Episcopal Academy is an independent college preparatory school for more than 1,100 boys and girls from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in four units: Lower School at Devon and Lower, Middle, and Upper School in Merion, PA. Founded by the Right Reverend William White, first Episcopal Bishop of Pennsylvania, the Academy is affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Philadelphia and governed by a 32member self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. For more information, visit www.ea1785.org.

376 N. Latches Lane Merion, PA 19066 610-667-9612 and 905 S. Waterloo Road Devon, PA 19333 610-293-0830