The William Smith College squash team opens its 2015-16 season with three matches on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Herons will take on Denison, Bucknell, and Rochester in Buffalo, N.Y.
 
Head Coach Chip Fishback begins his 18th year at the helm of the program. He welcomes back nine returners and adds three first-years to the team. "This year we have one overarching goal. It's to win the Epps Cup or sneak into the Walker Cup," shared Fishback. "Last year we came one win away from achieving that goal, falling in the championship to Tufts, and we are ready to build on that this year."
 
Seniors Erin Casey and Justine Shank will be the team leaders this year. Both Casey and Shank participated in the Colleges' study aboard program last fall, but returned to compete in the spring semester. Casey played in three matches, posting a 2-1 record, while Shank started 11 matches, logging an 8-3 record. She finished the year on a three-match win streak.
 
Juniors Brooke Hayes and Allie Rubin return, while junior Delaney Teceno will be back for the spring portion of the schedule after studying abroad this fall. Last year, Hayes started 18 matches and went 13-6 at Nos. 6 and 7. A starter in 20 matches, Rubin posted an 11-9 overall record. She won the two matches she played at the No. 1 spot, went 4-6 at No. 2, and 5-3 at No. 3.
 
Sophomores Peyton Capute, Michaelann Denton, Cashel McCarthy, and Anna Worcester will look to build on solid rookie seasons. Capute went 3-1 in her first season as a Heron, playing at Nos. 8 and 9. Denton shared a team-high with 14 wins last year. She was a perfect 8-0 at No. 6, 2-0 at No. 2, and 1-0 at No. 4. She added a 3-5 record at No. 3. McCarthy started 18 matches last winter. She played 11 matches at the top spot and posted a 5-3 mark at No. 2. A starter in 14 matches, Worcester logged an 8-6 record playing at No. 6-8.
 
William Smith's three first-years, Stacy Avigail Maceda, Madison Bradley and Hattye Hytla, are all expected to break into the starting lineup this season.
 
The Herons are excited to have four new opponents on their schedule this year in Denison, Bucknell, the University of Minnesota and Boston University. William Smith will also be competing in the 2016 Pioneer Valley Round Robin, Jan. 15-17. The team is looking forward to being back together earlier to start calendar year before classes begin.
 
The Herons have three home matches this year. They will host the 2016 William Smith Round Robin on Jan. 30 and then take on Bates in the Smith Squash Center on Feb. 14 at 9 a.m.