LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates squash teams have new leadership this year with the addition of Trinity alumna Nadiia Usenko as the program's head coach, and the Bobcats open their respective seasons this Saturday in Pennsylvania when they take on Franklin & Marshall. The men's team opens the campaign 22nd in the College Squash Association national rankings and the women's team checks in at 24th in the country.  

"The teams have amazing energy so far," Usenko said. "I really want to commend them for their strong mindset and spirit. This feels like a very tight group and the returnees bring this togetherness into the year for which I'm extremely grateful. It makes my job easier."

Men's Preview

Reigning NESCAC Rookie of the Year and second team all-conference selection Dennis Welte (Stuttgart, Germany) leads the No. 22 nationally ranked Bobcats as the team's top returning player. 

Welte posted a record of 7-9 for the Bobcats as a first-year. He won six of his final 11 matches -- including two of his three matches at the College Squash Association Divisional Championships -- where Bates advanced to the Summers Cup final for the first time since 2016.

A team captain, Welte moves up to the No. 1 position in the lineup this season and is supported by fellow team captain senior Ashton Monteiro (Riverside, Conn.), who checks in at No. 2 in the lineup after posting a record of 6-6 last season playing mostly at the No. 4 position. Junior captain Gus Silverman (Brunswick, Maine) is another strong leader for the Bobcats, starting the year at the No. 9 position. 

"The captains have been doing an amazing job, starting this summer and helping me transition to learn the team," Usenko said. "We have a pretty young team and it's a new page for Bates squash. They always ask good questions and have great insight on Bates squash. It's a great blend with the first-years and the captains have been leading the team and supporting each other while helping guide the freshmen."

With junior Maks Celm (Poznan, Wielkopolska, Poland) studying abroad this year, the rest of the Bates starting lineup is composed of first-years. Rookies Oscar Hecker (Westport, Conn.) and Parker Davis (Baltimore, Md.) start the year at No. 3 and 4 respectively, while Rodrigo Chon Him (San Antonio, Texas), Tommy Le (Portland, Maine), Tanish Tangri (Malvern, Pa.), and John Kim (Bellevue, Wash.) fill out the lineup.

"Squash is an individual sport so for some of these guys it's their first time on a team," Usenko said. "It's about remembering that you're not alone on that court. And that no one feels one hundred percent every day. So when you're struggling, let your teammate know so that you can lean on them, and when they're struggling they can lean on you."

Women's Preview

Team captains senior Aasya Patel (Indore, India ), junior Tia Billimoria (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), and sophomore Scarlett Hine (Bronxville, N.Y.) lead the No. 24 nationally Bobcats into the 2025-26 season while also playing in the top three spots in the lineup. 

With junior first team All-NESCAC selection Navya Gupta (New Delhi, India) studying abroad this year, Patel returns from abroad to step into the No. 1 position. She has a career record of 21-15 and was a second team All-NESCAC selection as a rookie in 2022-23. Billimoria was a captain as a sophomore and moves up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup after compiling 12 wins over the course of her first two seasons as a Bobcat. Hine holds steady at No. 3 after a strong rookie year that saw her finish 7-7.

"We are more on the smaller side than most teams and because we're small, I feel we are more united and you can spend more quality time with each of the players as a coach," Usenko said. "Patel was here during the summer for an internship and I was able to meet with her a couple of times and she jumped right into it. She had a great time during her junior year abroad, but she was very excited and looking forward to her senior year and she has great goals for herself and for the team." 

Sophomore Sav Thomson (Kingston, Jamaica), junior Angelina Amastal (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and sophomore Neha Taneja (Kirkland, Wash.) are joined by first-year Albertine Gingrass (Denver, Colo.) on the roster. 

"We have our farthest road trip to start the year," Usenko said of the team's trip to Pennsylvania. "It's great for our mindset in general and for us as coaches to see people in playing mode and how we can help and support them."