Superstar Squasher: Allison Chun

Allison Chun ’17 first picked up a squash racket eight years ago.  

Chun joined the Girls Squash Team in eighth grade, immediately taking on a lot of responsibility as the #2 seed. By her junior year, Chun found herself atop the ladder. She has not looked back since. Now, playing in her fifth season at Hopkins, Chun enters this year again as the #1 seed and a seasoned veteran hungry for victory.

Chun’s success on the court is directly related to her work ethic. “Allison has grown so much as a player because she works hard; even during the season she trains outside of school nearly every day,” said Helena Lyng-Olsen ’18. 

Chun also demonstrates unmatched resilience. Emily Ruan ’18 said of Chun, “Her perseverance is clear every time she steps on court. Allison may be very sweet off-court, but on the court she’s a beast.” When asked about what she has learned from squash, Chun replied, “I’ve learned to be resilient. I’ve injured myself every year from sixth grade to tenth grade and it’s been tough recovering from each injury. Learning to recover and continue to keep up with my friends at tournaments has been tough, but it has taught me to continue pushing.” Head Coach Brad Czepiel described how Chun combines her resilience with her love for the game: “Allison commits herself to the game as someone who will fight tooth and nail for a win, but also someone who just loves the excitement of running down a loose ball and of hitting a well-crafted shot.” 

Due to her worth ethic and resilience, Chun is no stranger to success on the squash courts. In ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade, Chun was named a US Scholar Athlete. At age 17, Chun  was ranked 54.

Allison Chun has embraced her role as captain this season: “It’s been great! I’m so happy to be playing with the team again. They’re so enthusiastic and try to play every chance they get. I could not ask for better teammates.”