Rally Roundup Newsletter - April / May 2024

In this newsletter, we provide details of the two remaining national tournaments of the season, info for the Pan-American Masters Games, report on the Women’s Individual Championships and the City Cup, the Women’s & Girls Summit, introduce you to the women awarded the Achievement Bowl and Sportsmanship Award and we spotlight Atlanta, GA in our Community Spotlight.

Recap of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Masters & Women’s Skill Level Squash Championships and the City Cup!

The 2024 U.S. Women’s Masters Championships produced five first-time champions as the event welcomed a huge increase in participation from recent years, April 12-14, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.

More than sixty women competed in the U.S. Women’s Masters and Skill Level Championships, which was held as a stand alone event for the first time, and offered players the ability to play in both the Masters and Skill Level draws.

The 2024 U.S. Women’s Masters and Skill Level Championships introduced the City Cup, which was awarded to the city or regions with the most number of points, awarded for both participation and wins. The Northeast, Great Lakes & Canada earned the inaugural City Cup with 94 points, topping Boston and the South, Mid & West which both totaled 72 points. The other contenders were Philly, Mid Atlantic and NYC.

The tournament celebrated a historic first with the inaugural staging of a 70+ division with four women contesting the round robin. New Jersey’s Beverly Rayfield topped the group with three wins to capture her first national title, and Boston’s Kathryn MacDonald placed second.



“This year I knew that I was goIng to be seventy before the tournament, so I said, ‘this is my year, I’m going to try it,'” Rayfield said. “This was so much fun. I was nervous because I hadn’t played in a long time, and I started working out and playing again to try to get ready for it. Everyone was so nice, the tournament directors were wonderful, everyone was helpful. It’s been a great experience.”

In the 65+ division, Canada’s Kathryn Cowper earned her first US national title since 2011, defeating defending champion Carole Grunberg in the final 11-5, 11-5, 11-6. Pittsburgh’s Beth Fedorowich won her first national title in the 60+ division and her fourth in all age groups. Representing the Northeast, Fedorowich fulfilled her top seeding, defeating Boston’s Susan Greene in the final 11-4, 11-8, 11-6.

Boston’s Hope Prockop earned her first national title since 2019 and fourteenth overall, marking her Masters return after an injury-induced hiatus. Prockop defeated Wisconsin’s defending 55+ champion Leslie Cameron 11-8, 11-7, 11-5.

“It’s been a really long journey, it’s been pretty painful physically and emotionally because I love to play squash and this is what I’ve wanted to do,” Prockop said. “I decided a couple weeks ago that it was time to start playing squash again and see what I can do. I’ve been back on the courts for a couple of weeks, and I managed to get through the last couple of days, playing some good matches and moving around the court. I had a little help from my friends who brought me ice bags–it feels really good to be back. It’s so great to see so many people here this weekend. It’s very inspiring to see some of our older women playing and having a very robust 60 and 65 plus draws and the first 70 plus draw. I hope I’m going to be here as a part of those draws in a decade.”

Florida’s Nathalie de Champlain celebrated her first Masters title in the 50+ division. De Champlain topped the four-player round robin without dropping a game. New Jersey’s Megumi Fujimoto placed second with a 2-1 record.

“It’s exciting to win my first title, you never consider yourself a 50 plus then one day you just reach that milestone,” de Champlain said. “You get to meet a lot of different people playing this event, that’s what I like about squash–it’s social. You get the chance to see all of the different personalities and watch exciting matches–it’s beautiful.”

Philadelphia’s Narelle Krizek–a World Junior Team Champion with Australia and World Doubles champion–earned her first individual title in any competition in the 45+ division. Krizek defeated Boston’s Szilvia Szombati in the final 11-4, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3.

Canada’s Vanessa Steinwall marked her US Masters debut with her first title. Steinwall captured the title without dropping a game, while Philadelphia’s Victoria Gray placed second with a 3-1 record. Steinwall added a second title in the 4.5 division, fulfilling her top seeding against two seed de Champlain.

Washington DC’s Sally Pei earned the 35+ title in her first Masters appearance, defeating Boston’s Preeti John in the final 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5.

Seven Skill Level divisions were also held alongside the Masters draws, and contributed to the overall City Cup standings.

Geneva, New York’s Sanna Koivumäki contributed to the Northeast’s City Cup win with two divisional titles. Koivumäki took the 19-35 title without dropping a game as the top seed, and defeated City Cup teammate Pamicka Marinello in a four-game 5.0 final.

After being recognized with the Achievement Bowl on Saturday night, Boston’s Susan Greene added to her achievements on Sunday, defeating the top two seeds on her way to the 4.0 title.

Florida’s Grace Birmingham fulfilled her top seeding in the 3.5 division, defeating Philadelphia’s Molly Clarke in the final. New York City’s Olivia Belda took home the 3.0 title, overcoming Philadelphia’s Louise Duffy in a four-game final.

The 2.5 division produced the tournament’s only five-game final between Binghamton, New York’s Lorraine Bates and Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania’s Joyce McGhee. McGhee pulled off a five game comeback 7-11, 7-11, 13-11, 11-5, 11-5.

View all results on the 2024 U.S. Women’s Masters and Skill Level Championships tournament page. Tournament photography is available on the US Squash Smugmug page. Watch live stream replays on the US Squash Youtube page.

The votes are in! We will be holding the Masters and Skill Levels together with the City Cup next April. If you missed it this year, mark your calendars for April 4-6, 2025 so you won’t miss it!

US Squash Women & Girls Summit Panels Address Support Networks, Sports Psychology and Music

The second annual Women and Girls Summit took place April 20 at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, and brought together a diverse group of players, coaches, leaders and parents together from around the country. Footage of the Summit’s expert panels and seminars is now available on the US Squash Youtube Channel.

Read about our Sportsmanship Award Recipient and our Achievement Bowl Award Recipient

This year, during the Saturday night dinner and award ceremony at the US Women’s National Masters and Skill Levels, we awarded Carole Grunberg the 2024 Sportsmanship Award and Susan Greene, the 2024 Achievement Bowl. We asked Aanika Sethi, a junior squash player from Richmond, Virginia, and part of our communications committee, to interview our award recipients and get their insights and thoughts on squash, playing, sportsmanship, and volunteering. Her interviews and insights follow:

The Sportsmanship Trophy is awarded by US Squash to players who have shown exemplary sportsmanship on and off the court. This year, Carole Grunberg was awarded that honor for her years of exhibiting exemplary sportsmanship through her wins and losses, on and off court.

Carole was a tennis player at Vassar College, but when the squash team came calling, she happily volunteered to play on the team, never having picked up a squash racquet before. She continued playing after she graduated and started playing tournaments while living in New York. 

Carole has been playing for 50 years and has had an impressive squash journey, including playing in the US Masters, World Masters, and the Howe Cups since the 1980s, winning the Achievement Bowl and now the Sportsmanship Trophy. 

Do you feel pressure when you play, and how do you deal with it? 

Carole: I put the pressure on myself. There is innate pressure to want to perform the best that you can. There’s always another point to play. It's not the end of the world, it is just a squash game. The best thing to do when playing is to simply focus on playing your game. While this is definitely harder said than done, by taking a step back, and only worrying about what you can control, you can maintain mental composure during a match. When playing squash, you can’t be thinking about anything else. Your mind has to be completely in the game, not worrying about anything else that is going on in your life. The more you play, the more comfortable you feel as you continue to pull yourself out of similar experiences.

What was the hardest match you ever played? Do you remember it?

Carole: Of course I do! It was at the 2019 Howe Cup in Seattle, and it was the finals of the ‘B’ division, where I was playing against the Boston team. I was the last match on, and at that point, the overall match was tied 2-2, so my match would determine the winner of the division! I lost the first two games and dug deep to win in five, clinching the team win. I just kept my head in the game; it’s what keeps me from giving up in difficult situations like this one.

What are your thoughts about sportsmanship while playing? Who exemplifies sportsmanship?

Carole: Arguing distracts you from playing. AJ Copeland and Sarah Davidson — you will never see them call the ball the wrong way, and they are always having fun and laughing!

What do you love about squash?

Carole: Squash is a close-knit and supportive community. Squash is a social sport that brings together different people from all over. Squash is great exercise and great people!

The Achievement Bowl is the oldest award in US Squash, given to women who have made notable and profound contributions to the advancement of the women’s game. This year, Susan Greene has been awarded the honor for her long history of contributions to the growth of the game in NYC, Philadelphia, and now Boston. The first word that I would use to describe Sue is humble. Throughout our interview, Sue was recruited to play squash at Trinity College and has not stopped playing since. She plays both singles and doubles and competes in almost every national tournament she can. She has played in the Howe Cup since the 1980s.

Sue has had many different titles throughout her career and played many different roles in supporting women’s squash. She started volunteering while she lived in New York, quickly became the Women’s League Chair, and organized Howe Cup Teams. She continued to help out with the leagues and the Howe Cup wherever she lived, as she moved to Philadelphia, and then in Boston. She is now on the Board of the Massachusetts Squash Association, and in Boston, she continues to support women’s squash and continues to work to increase the number of women on the Board! 

What has kept you playing the sport for so long?

Susan: It’s the people, comradery, and testing yourself. 

How did you start getting involved in the administration side of squash?

Susan: Somebody must have asked me for a favor to help, and I have never stopped.

What keeps making you come back to volunteer?

Susan: It is the people and the growth I see. Things fail. It’s not the end of the world. I think that we put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed, and it is all okay! Things ebb and flow, and new people continue to bring new ideas that help grow the women’s squash community! The amazing thing about squash is that you can continue playing throughout your life and meet all different kinds of people! 

It is the volunteers that help run the clinics and events, and the enthusiasm of the community as something that keeps me giving back to this sport!

What is the secret to increasing women’s participation?

Susan: The biggest thing is communication. Simply inviting people, no matter their skill set, and informing your local community about what is going on is a great way to increase participation! It can be a game changer to increase women’s participation in the sport. Inviting women for a clinic, or a singles night builds a stronger and friendlier community! 

Do you have any inspirational nuggets that she would like to share? 

Susan: The biggest nugget is to get women out there on the court to inspire others. Whether it's 5 or 10 women, it does not matter because they are inspiring each other. Competing in a welcoming community can make all the difference in increasing women’s participation in squash!

The Women’s Squash Around the US - Community Spotlight - Atlanta, GA

Focus Group Highlights the Promise and Challenges of Women’s Squash