If it wasn’t for the game of squash, there might not be a Hayley Hughes. Her parents, Nigel and Bev, met through the game, a fortuitous encounter not only for them and their three future children, but for the Drexel squash program as well.
In just two seasons as a Dragon, this sophomore has risen to become the women’s team’s top player, and last season she became the program’s first-ever All-American. That’s quite an accomplishment for a 19-year-old who just two years ago Googled “college squash America” from her hometown, a world away from Philadelphia in Auckland, New Zealand.
“I emailed all the coaches and Skyped with them quite a bit,” says Hughes. “I wanted to be in a city for university, and Drexel had the [most to] offer. It was the best decision of my life to come here.”
John White certainly wouldn’t argue with that. When he first watched video of Hughes playing, Drexel’s coach was impressed with her powerful and unrelenting style (her résumé wasn’t bad either: She placed seventh at the 2013 Junior World Championships in Warsaw, Poland).
It wasn’t until he met and got to know her, however, that he truly appreciated her competitive nature and leadership capabilities.
“She’s a lovely person o court, but she gets on court and she will run through a brick wall if you tell her to,” he says. “She loves the game; nothing ever gets her down. She has so much grit; she just doesn’t give up anything at all.”
Hughes had been to the United States once, to visit her brother, Andrew, who was working at Disney World, before she arrived on campus in January 2015. But diving head first into both a rigorous academic schedule (she’s a finance major) and squash was an adjustment. Still, she turned in a solid freshman season before exploding to the No. 16 ranking and Second Team All-American status this year.
“I was really happy with my season,” she says. “I put in a lot of work with the coaches and training, so it was good to see all of that pay off.”
“A lot of work” is an understatement. Hughes plays squash every day, and participates in two strength sessions per week. One of her preferred drills is ghosting, in which she darts around the court with her racquet, going through the motions of hitting shots without actually using a ball.
“Her attitude and her determination shows a lot,” White says. “The girls o the court are always saying, ‘Did you see her match? She got every single ball back.’ So when she does speak, her voice is heard very clear.”
After a particularly tough loss to George Washington in February, Hughes articulated to her teammates her displeasure with the direction of the team.
“I think we definitely could have won that match,” she says. “We just need all the girls showing up on the same day and aligning all of our goals, having the belief in yourself and determination to want to win individually and for the team. But I also like [leading] by example, training and working hard just to show the other girls what they can do, too.”
That disposition is one reason White says Hughes is “going to make a great captain for us one day — that is for sure.”
For her part, Hughes is just focusing on improving each day. She’s settled into the City of Brotherly Love nicely, even though she’s not particularly fond of cheesesteaks. She misses her mom’s home cooking, her family (younger sister Anna also is a squash player), and especially her dog, Coco, but otherwise she loves her new life at Drexel.