Rally Roundup Newsletter - June 2025

In this newsletter, we say thank you to Karen Arango for leading the women’s committee for the past 2 years and welcome Tor Gray as she takes the lead for the next term. We acknowledge our 2025 Award Recipients and provide early info about Women’s Squash Week and Howe Cup.

Thank you Karen Arango, and welcome Tor Gray as the new Women’s Committee Chair

A big shout-out goes to Karen Arango for spearheading the Women’s Committee for the last two years. Under Karen’s leadership, we increased participation in all National Championships, started a monthly newsletter, and got a better understanding of how squash fits into women's lives, which will help us develop programs specific to women in the future. We had an outstanding showing of women at the World Masters in 2024 in Amsterdam and hope to build on all of these successes as we transition to a new Women’s Committee Chair.

Introducing Tor Gray

Hi There! For those who don't know me, my name is Tor Gray, and I am so excited to take on the role of the US Squash Women’s Committee Chair this season! I am currently based in Philadelphia and play out of the Arlen Specter Center, which, by now, all my Howe Cup ladies know well.

My squash journey began at eight years old, back in my hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. I was a Northumbria Junior County player for many years and went on to represent the University of Nottingham during my college career. Upon my move to the US in my mid-20s, squash provided me with an avenue to make much-needed connections with like-minded people and continue to play the game I had always loved. After a ten-year hiatus and three kids, I returned to the game in 2022 and was welcomed back into this fantastic community of women, and haven't looked back.

During my time as committee chair I am committed to playing an impactful role in growing the women’s game - via fostering a love of the sport in new and returning players, encouraging increased female participation in local and national events, and exploring new ways to provide access for women to get on court with consistency across the country.

Please get in touch if you're interested in joining the Women’s Committee, or would just like to get on court!

Sportsmanship Award and the Achievement Bowl

Sportsmanship Award

Sarah Davidson, an experienced Masters player and first-time national champion, was honored with the 2025 Women’s Sportsmanship Award during the U.S. Women’s Masters Championships Saturday, April 5, at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia.

The Women’s Sportsmanship Award is awarded by the US Squash Women’s Committee to players who have shown exemplary sportsmanship on and off the court.

Davidson was introduced by 2024 Sportsmanship Award recipient and fellow Washington, D.C. player Carole Grunberg. Grunberg recounted a story of Davidson recently competing in the TransAtlantic Masters in Dublin last summer, an invitational competition including some of the world’s top masters players, where Davidson called a double hit on herself with match ball in hand when no one else saw it, including the refs. 

Achievement Bowl

Sally Russell, a driving force behind the growth of squash in Buffalo, New York, for fifty years, was honored with the prestigious Achievement Bowl during Buffalo Squash’s annual end-of-year celebration at the Saturn Club on Thursday, May 8.

Presented by the Women’s Committee, the Achievement Bowl is the oldest women’s national award in US Squash and recognizes individuals who have made profound and lasting contributions to the advancement of the women’s game.

Women’s Squash Save the Week

We are excited to announce that Women's Squash Week will run across the US the week of September 15th - 21st, 2025!

Women’s Squash Week is a celebration of the vibrant and growing community of women and girls in our sport, and this year, we’re aiming to make it bigger than ever. 

We invite clubs, programs, schools, and colleges across the country to get involved and host events that welcome players of all ages and levels. Whether it’s a fun club-run clinic, an evening round robin, or a weekend tournament, there are endless opportunities to participate and connect.

Let’s work together to create more access, build community, and grow the game—every bit of involvement helps shape the future of squash.

If your club would like to participate in Women’s Squash Week, please register here by September 5th to ensure your event is included on the 2025 WSW calendar!

Announcing…



Howe Cup 2025

November 7 - 9, 2025

Seattle, WA

We are excited to announce that the Howe Cup will be hosted at the Seattle Athletic Club in downtown Seattle, at the north end of Pike Place Market. The ClubLocker page is live and contains a list of regional coordinators. You can reach out to your regional coordinator for details on team formation. If you do not see a regional coordinator listed for your area, you can reach out to Karen Arango. We will do player matching and team matching, so anyone who wants to play will get to play. Just let us know!

Entry opens on July 15, and if you are not part of a region that enters everyone, then start signing up! In the meantime, you can visit the Howe Cup Seattle 2025 website for information about where to stay, what to bring (especially for the party), and who is DJing. We will be adding to the website with where to eat on Thursday and Friday nights, and fun things to do while you are in Seattle. You can also follow along on Instagram to get the latest updates.



See you in Seattle!

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