Emma Kahle

A coral sunset engulfs the blue sky into the night outside the Robie Squash Center at St. Lawrence University. The shorter days and chilly temperatures mark the start of the winter sports season.

Petra DeRose grabs her highlighter yellow racquet and goggles before hopping on the middle court. She hits a few forehand volleys to herself to warm the ball up. Teammates Xitlali Zuniga-Romero and Tita Hicks join DeRose and the three begin doing rotating rails.

DeRose twists her body to the left as she winds up for a backhand. The ball bounces off the back wall before she leans down to hit it. She takes a step to the right and quickly shuffles to the center of the court to make space for Hicks to return the drive. Next, they switch to boast-drive. DeRose hits a straight drive deep in the right corner and returns to the T, waiting for Zuniga-Romero to return her shot. Zuniga-Romero plays a boast from the back of the forehand court, hitting the ball at the side wall to propel it toward the front left corner. DeRose takes a few steps before lunging to drive her return into the back left corner to Hicks.

DeRose cues up some music on aux during a break between drills. EDM begins playing on the speaker as she puts her phone down to move one court over to play with the squash cannon – a squash ball launcher that resembles a robot.

DeRose places a ball into an opening at the top of the cannon. Gripping her racquet, she waits on the balls of her feet for her robot opponent to launch the ball. A few turns later, Zuniga-Romero and DeRose start giggling as they struggle to get the ball into the cannon. The device unexpectedly launches a ball as Zuniga-Romero lunges unsuccessfully to try and retrieve it. They start laughing with each other, their eyes squinting in unison while beaming with joy.

“She’s goofy, and I think we match each other’s energy because I’m also pretty goofy,” Zuniga-Romero laughs while grabbing a salt and vinegar chip out of DeRose’s kettle-cooked bag, vulnerably placed on the kitchen table of their townhouse. “I think we all just want to de-stress once we’re there, we all share that love for this sport, and everyone wants to work but still have fun too.”

“Oh my god, we have so much fun!” DeRose smiles. “Sometimes we get stressed out, but it helps when we are just constantly laughing and enjoying ourselves.”

Zuniga-Romero and DeRose have been teammates since the 2020-21 season. While they sometimes succumb to their laughter and goofy natures, the duo is usually able to refocus and get back in the zone to play squash.

“We mess around, but once we’re actually in our zone doing the drill – doing what our coach is telling us – we know how to kind of differentiate and code-switch that way,” Zuniga-Romero says.

Head women’s squash coach David Morrish stands at the back wall looking through the glass of the court DeRose is playing on.

“When she’s on court she gets stuck in, she’s not one for giving half of herself,” says Morrish. “She comes in and she’ll try hard. You can just watch her now, she’s very engaged.” DeRose’s concentration and focus shine through her active stance and gaze locked on the movement of the ball. 

Morrish encourages DeRose to get her shot deeper in the back corner. DeRose tries numerous times before hitting a perfect rail that dies in the back left corner. She smiles at her success.

 “I feel like she could have a bit more confidence in herself and her abilities,” says Morrish. “She’s better than she realizes.”

Morrish joined the St. Lawrence men’s and women’s coaching staff in October of 2022. Due to his arrival being at the very start of last season, DeRose played a key role in helping Morrish get acclimated and feel comfortable in his new role.

“When I arrived here last year, Petra could not have been more helpful,” he recalls. “Really great leadership, great organization, helped set things up for me, and just a very conscientious person – one that I could trust.”

DeRose feels very grateful to have had Morrish as her coach for the past two seasons, a sentiment that is shared among the other members of her team. 

“I didn’t recruit her, but I would have if I had come across her,” says Morrish, who feels lucky to have DeRose on his team as well.

Zuniga-Romero’s love for DeRose shines through as she names a few of the many strengths that DeRose brings to a team and friendship alike. Zuniga-Romero especially admires DeRose’s determination while playing.

“Her game and her personality are one of not giving up, she will chase everything down,” Morrish echoes. “What she lacks in technique she makes up for in determination and grit, and those are the sort of people you want on your team because they help create the energy and the culture.”

DeRose mentions a wild shot she made during Nationals last year. She grabs her phone, goes into Instagram, and turns her phone around to show a clip from the College Squash Association. In the video, DeRose is rallying with her opponent before making an incredible diving shot on match point of the third game.

“I was like, ‘I can’t let the match end now,’ and then I ended up diving for it!” DeRose laughs while the video goes into a slo-mo replay of her playing a perfect drop shot midair.

“Having people like her makes coaching enjoyable because you know she’s going to give everything she’s got and you know she loves this game,” says Morrish.

DeRose’s commitment to others extends beyond just her teammates and squash. Her genuine care and love for her friends is evident through her interactions with her housemates. DeRose radiates energy to everyone around her. From her greeting walking through the door, to being present and reminding her friends how much she cares about them. Her housemate Grace Hubbard is not on the team, but still has a very close-knit friendship with DeRose and the other squash girls. 

“She just takes the time to check in and ask about your day and makes it known that you’re important to her,” Hubbard says.

“She’s like – you know those wind-up toys?” Zuniga-Romero giggles in inquiry. “So when you get her going, she’s going to keep going, and she’s definitely very passionate about a lot of things she likes to do and talk about.”

“I could write up a full list of things, but I would say her loyalty to the sport and making sure she puts her full upper hand,” Hubbard names as two of DeRose’s best character traits. A “Billieve” sticker is on DeRose’s computer case, showcasing her loyalty to the Buffalo Bills. Her passion is evident in all realms of her life.

“She’s kind of like an open book, once you meet her that’s how she is,” Zuniga-Romero adds. “She’s unapologetically herself, which I also admire about her because she expresses herself with people she’s comfortable with – you’re always gonna get that same Petra all the time.”