World Jr Women's
Reports
Participants
Teams
USA Team Reports
Photos-1
Photos-2
Individual Event
Draw/Results
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Quarter-finals
Semis
Finals
Plate
Classic Plate
Consol Plate
Team Event:
Draw/Results
Pool Draws
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Quarter-finals
Semis
Finals
2001
World Junior Women's Championship
USA TEAM PREVIEW
Penang, Malaysia
July 15-28
[last update was 6-jul-01
]
You Can Help Support the USA 2001 Junior Women's Team!
The
USA Team, its potential and why it needs your support:
USA Squash is striving hard to achieve competitive parity with the rest of the squash playing nations. The women's teams have come the farthest fastest. There are a combination of factor for this; but it comes down to the broad support for women's athletics in the USA combined with the talent and determination of the top USA junior women's players.
These
players have already achieved a lot --- punctuated by Michelle Quibell's exciting
title at last winter's British Open --- a first for America.
The four selected members of the team, Michelle Quibell, Alexandra Pearson, Amy Gross, and Kate Rapisarda have an uphill struggle, though. They are competing against teams who are backed by prodigious National funding and coaching organizations --- Malaysia, Egypt, England and Australia, to name the strongest organizations.
You can help today to support these valiant competitors in their quest. Today you can play a role in supporting this exciting team.
Here is a little more about the team:
Amy
Gross: Amy, who hails from Philadelphia
is immediately recognizable for her two-handed backhand and her dour game
face. Amy, relaxed and likeable off -court is extremely competitive and intense
oncourt.
Since Amy emerged on the scene four + years ago, she has constantly confounded the critics who insisted that her two-handed backhand would be an insurmountable weakness. Player after player has tried to catch her on the backhand, only to find that it is in fact a strength for her.
Amy is probably the broadest sportswomen of the top players, and her off-season involvement in other sports has meant that she probably hasn't yet come close to reaching her real potential in squash.
When she is able to fully focus her intensity on taking advantage of her power and court presence, she can be close to unbeatable.
Michelle
Quibell : Michelle Quibell,
who lives in Atlanta, has rapidly emerged as the star of USA women's squash.
Michelle earned the British Open U17 crown last winter in England, an unprecedented
accomplishment in an arena heretofore dominated by England and Australia.
Michelle, who has received comprehensive coaching from top coaches Tom Rumpler and Aidan Harrison, among others, puts together a mature squash mind, superb court coverage, and clear execution into one imposing player.
Michelle has easily dominated the USA junior ranks and will be setting her sights on the top world junior players --- Nicol David, Omneya Abdel Kawy, Tricia Chuah and others.
Kate
Rapisarda : If heart were everything,
Kate Rapisarda would be king of the mountain. Kate, a completely dedicated
student of the game, has seen her game improve steadily year by year, helping
her keep pace, if not overtake, her teammates.
Kate, whose slight build seemed to be a disadvantage to her up until about a year ago has seen both her game and her body mature to make her a dangerous player to all comers.
Kate hails from the famous bastion of USA junior squash, the Brooklyn Heights Casino, where she was coached by Bryan Patterson for most of her career and for the last year by New Zealander Mark Devoy.
Kate's competitive experience and calm match demeanor make her a crowd favorite. Each time she goes on court, it appears that her big breakthrough might not be far away, such as at last winter's Junior Olympics when she took a big lead over Amy Gross on her newfound power game, before fading.
Alexandra Pearson:
Philadelphia native Alex Pearson is a tall and athletic competitor. Not as
flashy as her teammates, she is an extremely steady competitor and displays
all of the court sense and skills that USA Squash has come to expect from
juniors hailing from the Philly suburbs.
Pearson, potentially the physically strongest and most dominating of the USA team, could well surprise some of the international stars along the way.
Alexandra is an extremely valued and important member of this squad.
The Team: But this team is a lot more than the sum of its parts. In a sport that is completely individual in nature, this American squad brings an extraordinary team spirit and camaraderie to the table. These players have been playing with and against each other for a number of seasons; and always exhibit a singular closeness and mutual respect off the court. This is a team that any coach would be proud to lead!
Today you can play a role in supporting this exciting team.
 The team has raised money during the year by selling bandanas, bake sales, and personal fund raising drives. Pictured: Michelle Quibell and Kate Rapisarda at the team booth during the US Junior Nationals. |
All content © 2001 Squashtalk
COLLEGE USA
Schedules
Team previews
DEPARTMENTS
Latest news
Tournament Calendar
Bronstein
Global Gallery
Player of the month
Videos
History
Pakistan Squash
School
Squash
Camp Index
Features Index
Player Profiles
Worldwide Clubs
Worldwide Links
Rankings
Jobs
More Good stuff:
About Squash
Just
starting
Books
Juniors Squash
Women's Squash
Regional Reports
