As of September 2nd, school is back in full swing. Students in the Upper School are preparing for upcoming tests, attending club meetings, and even filling out college applications. Amidst the chaos of back-to-school, some Stuart girls have another thing on their mind: athletics.
The athletics program at Stuart is renowned for their success, difficulty, and team camaraderie. During the fall sports season, Stuart athletics runs four different sports programs: cross country, volleyball, field hockey, and tennis. All of these teams are coached by experienced and determined coaches who are committed to the development of players. Athletic teams can be seen practicing around campus, boarding buses for challenging away games, or playing in front of loud Stuart fans during home games. Whether it be a spike from volleyball, a new personal record during a cross country meet, a match point from tennis, or a skilled assist from field hockey, sports are present throughout every space— once school lets out at 3:10.
Take a look into the progress of our sports teams thus far to get insider details from captains for each sport!
Field Hockey
Field hockey has had a challenging season with a current record of five wins with seven loses. Their program is headed by Missy Bruvik, a devoted and well-revered coach at Stuart who has been part of the team for numerous years. When asked about Coach Bruvik, Senior captain, Nana Akua Ken-Kwofie, shared, “She gives constructive feedback that is easy to apply.” Serving as captains alongside Ken-Kwofie are Abby Chirik and Najma Tahiry. 
After graduating seven seniors last season, the field hockey team is fairly young. Nevertheless, the captains have been guiding their many new freshmen with communication, kindness, and experience on the field. When reflecting on the team chemistry and adjustments to young members, Ken-Kwofie stated, “We have gotten very close knit and are able to work very well together”.
Recently, on September 29, field hockey won a heated game against Hamilton West, largely due to senior Abby Chirk’s four goals. Field hockey is determined to continue to fight throughout the remainder of their season as they eagerly prepare for approaching Prep B Conference games.
Volleyball
Stuart’s volleyball team has developed quite a presence in the Upper School this year due to the large number of players and the varsity team’s current record of nine wins and two loses. The team is coached by Anna Kachmarksi who has worked tirelessly to ensure that her team makes it to state finals, as they were previously eliminated in state semi-finals in the 2024-2025 season. 
Senior captain Taylor States shared, “She seems to be pretty dedicated to helping us grow and develop.” States, who plays as an outside hitter, can often be heard cheering on her fellow teammates and offering helpful advice to underclassmen on her team at both practices and games.
Volleyball recently won their first round of Prep B Conference games against Gill St. Bernard, advancing to the semi-finals with a 2-1 set win. When asked about the Prep B Conference, States remarked, “I am feeling really excited. . . I think we are going to do pretty well.” With the continuation of Prep B’s and States approaching quickly, Stuart volleyball is prepared for even the toughest of matches in hopes for a trophy.
Tennis
Tennis is in full swing with both varsity and junior varsity playing challenging matches every week against schools all over New Jersey. The program currently has a record of four losses with one win against Nottingham High School. Stuart tennis is coached by Helen Geiger, an individual respected by the girls for her work ethic and kindness. Junior varsity captain, Jusan Williams, echoed this sentiment, saying, “She is really nice and supportive.” 
The varsity captains for Stuart’s tennis team are Marlie Conway and Abigail McKee who have both consistently advised and supported the improvement of the program. The tennis team recently played matches against Sommerville, which resulted in a hard fought 3-2 loss. When asked to state one word to describe the team’s mentality, Williams proudly said, “defiant.”
Although the team won’t be qualifying for Prep B’s in the 2025-2026 season, they are optimistic about the remainder of the season and are determined to give it their all.
Cross Country
The cross country team at Stuart may be small, but its four members have been able to achieve big things during their season. The cross country program is coached by Chelsea Moran, Stuart’s new Athletic Director. Coach Moran can be heard after school cheering on her girls as they run laps around campus or around the greater Princeton area. When asked about Moran, junior athlete Mayah Chennault said, “She is the backbone of our team.” Chennault recently placed in the top 20 during a meet alongside fellow junior athlete Claire McLaughlin. 
Their team has participated in many meets this year and improved with each one. Chennault shared that there is comfort in “competing against yourself in every race.” Many of the team members appreciate the sport for this reason and its sense of independence.
Unfortunately, cross country will not be able to qualify for Prep B Conference meets due to their small size. They will eagerly continue to train and participate in meets for the rest of the season, though.
The fall sports season for Stuart has been quite a busy one with still more to come. With Prep B Conference games on the horizon, each team is working especially hard now to perfect their skills.
Volleyball has Prep B quarterfinals on October 13th to decide what team will advance to semi-finals; field hockey has their first Prep B game shortly after on October 20th. We wish luck to all our athletes and coaches as they finish out their seasons! Please come out and support our Stuart girls for their conference tournaments!
