Men's Squash: Voulez-vous jouer au squash?

Currently ranked third in the country, the men’s squash team is one of Princeton’s most successful squads. For one of the last events of preseason training, the trip to France that spanned the entire week of fall break marked a successful beginning to what has been a successful season so far, demonstrating the team’s ability to succeed as well as the players’ ability to enjoy themselves.

“The trip really helped us build towards the middle of our season,” sophomore Dylan Ward said. “I think we are prepared now because of it.”

At the Set Club in Aix-en-Provence, the team spent the first part of the week predominantly on the courts. In the morning, the team worked on its fitness and were trained by one of the instructors of the French military.

“It was extremely intense,” Ward said.

In the afternoon, the players had the opportunity to take lessons from some of the French professional coaches.

“I feel like we got some great pointers,” freshman Jacob Lee said. “I definitely came back a better player.”

As for matches, Princeton played against none other than the French national team itself. Although the national team did not enlist all of its top players against the Tigers, Princeton was actually able to win a match.

During the first few days, the players worked extremely hard, demonstrating their dedication to the sport.

“We were in bed by eight,” Ward said.

In the second half of the trip, the players took advantage of France’s rich culture. After a few days of intense training in Aix, the team then travelled to Paris to incorporate team bonding and recreation into its schedule. Together the players enjoyed fine French cuisine and visited various historic sights, including Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. The team also went on a river cruise down the Seine River that runs through France.

Especially interesting was the team’s dabbling in the similar sport of court tennis. Court tennis is the predecessor of lawn tennis (what is commonly known in America as just plain “tennis”), but it is enclosed in a court like squash. The Tigers were able to get onto the courts and even play with a few pros. The site they visited was the historic place where the Tennis Court Oath, an agreement made during the French Revolution which organized the French citizens who opposed King Louis XVI, was signed.

For a sport that seems so individual, as each of the players essentially compete separately against an opponent in the matches without knowledge of what their teammates are doing, the trip brought the team together in a way that extended beyond the squash court.

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“I get so lonely on my court,” sophomore Ash Egan said. “I sometimes wish I could just have my friends at the back of my court.”

As represented by their trip to France, the men’s squash team will hopefully maintain a mix of light-hearted amusement and exceptional dedication as it works toward its goal of an undefeated season. The Tigers continue play on Dec. 3, taking on No. 9 Penn.