Lauren (Patrizio) Xaba begins her first season as the Interim Mount Holyoke College squash coach during the 2023-24 academic year. In addition to being the head squash coach at Mount Holyoke College, Xaba is also a lecturer in the Physical Education department.

Xaba, who earned a Bachelor's of Science in Economics from the Wharton school at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Management in 2001, becomes the seventh full-time head coach in the Mount Holyoke College squash program, dating back to 1989.

As a student-athlete, Xaba captained the University of Pennsylvania squash team in 2001 and led the team to a National Championship in 2000 -- the only National Championship Penn has ever won. Xaba was a two-time All-American squash while at Penn.

Xaba is the founder and former Executive Director of SquashDrive, part of the Squash and Education Alliance, in Oakland, Calif., and now serves on its Board of Directors. Xaba is on the Board of Northern California Squash and Racquets Associations and serves as an ambassador for US Squash to help grow the Community Squash network.