Masterman’s Squash Team: From Simple Beginnings to Champions

Inside the Arlen Specter US Squash Center, the Masterman Squash team, founded in 2022, has been working relentlessly to reach victories and gain recognition as one of the few teams representing Philadelphia. While they have certainly faced hurdles—the struggle to find a sponsor, the process of growing the team, and the lack of initial experience in comparison to many other schools in the area—Masterman has found great success. Both the boys’ and girls' teams became Philadelphia Public League (PPL) Champions, with respective scores of 6-1 and 4-1 in the PPL finals. They kept this victorious streak going in the PPL Individual Tournament, with both teams achieving gold and silver medals throughout multiple divisions. Zohar Yurdin ‘27 claimed first place in Girls D2, Margaret Olsen ‘28 won D3, Mariana Martinez ‘27 won D4, and Jaida Brown ‘27 earned silver after losing a hard-fought battle in the Division 1 finals. Drake Wu won Boy’s D2, Sammy Abusaab ‘25 won D3, and Alec Santoro ‘28 took home a gold medal in D4. During the regular season, the teams went undefeated for all but one match each, pulling off wins against schools such as Friends Central, Lower Merion-Harriton, and Esperanza Charter. Squash Captain Kaddy Ren ‘25 shared, “I hope the squash team continues to grow and flourish. In addition, I hope the public league in general expands.”

One of the reasons for the team’s success is their opportunity to practice and compete at the Arlen Specter Center, the US Squash National Headquarters responsible for hosting international tournaments and training Team USA athletes. Captain Owen Erdman ‘25 remarked, “It is an amazing opportunity that we have access to such wonderful resources. They’ve been super generous in that they give us shoes, rackets, goggles—everything you need to play—and, in addition, they have over 20 of the nicest courts in the country.” Not only did the team have access to high-quality courts and equipment, but the Specter Center provided an experienced coaching staff. Erdman continued, “I’d like to shout out Sakora Miller, for being our coach this season, as well as Mr. Lerner, who volunteered to sponsor the team.” This year, the Specter Center and other squash facilities throughout Philadelphia hosted the 2025 High School Squash Nationals, an annual tournament responsible for bringing together ambitious squash athletes from across the US to culminate the season. Both teams competed in High School Nationals, getting the opportunity to play against high-caliber competitors from throughout the country. Captain Luc Bastien ‘25 reflected, “Nationals are always a great experience whether we win or lose and it's a great moment for the team. It always gives us something to look forward to at the end of the season.” Over the weekend, every player competed fiercely, facing wins, losses, and ultimately gaining an unforgettable experience. While Nationals marked the end of the successful ‘24-’25 season, Masterman’s squash team is just getting started. 

Captain Rena Liu ‘25 reflected, “I’m proud of the growth of our team and especially a lot of players who are new to the sport. Just seeing how much they’ve improved is amazing, we’ve had a great run.”