Williamstown, MA – With over 100 parents, family and fans crowding into Simon Squash Center this past weekend, the Williams women’s squash team put on a show, dropping a 9-0 match to second-ranked University of Pennsylvania, winning a 7-2 challenge against Hamilton College, and narrowly defeating the Dartmouth Green 5-4.
The Quakers made quick work of the Ephs, winning spots three through nine in three games. Co-captains Toby Eyre and Jennifer Coxe were able to hold on a bit longer at the top of the lineup, each winning one game off their Penn opponents, while freshman Laura Henry and sophomore Carolyn Kaemmer kept their games close at the number four and seven spots, respectively.
Later in the day, Williams took on the Hamilton Continentals. Resting three of the top four players brought on a new challenge for the Ephs, who showed the depth of their lineup, with players in the six through nine spots winning decisive matches. The top of the ladder struggled with fatigue, losing at the number four spot and having to retire at number five.
On Sunday
afternoon, the Ephs hit the courts again against long-time rival
Dartmouth College. Players three, six and nine started the match
off, each with four-game victories. After dropping the first game
6-11, sophomore Courtney Bogle charged ahead winning the next three
games over freshman Rebecca Lau at number three. Co-captain and
senior Caroline Henry played smart squash and rallied after
dropping the second game, to defeat her opponent 11-6, 11-4 in the
next two. Similarly, senior Julia Reiser showed her experience in
her victory over Caroline Lindseth.
With Williams up 3-0 in the match, Coxe finished off her freshman
opponent in three close, well-played games to put the Ephs up 4-0,
while the other two courts struggled to close out their games. At
number five, freshman Alli Rubin could not hold on to the momentum
after a win in her first game, losing the next three by a score of
11-8, each. Freshman Hannah Kaemmer also could not close, going up
match ball in the fourth game, before losing six consecutive points
to a determined Julia Watson, and dropping the final game by a
score of 11-8.
With the match score at 4-2, the Ephs needed one more victory in
the final three matches in order to defeat the Big Green. Sophomore
Carolyn Kaemmer dropped a three game match at number seven, while
freshman Laura Henry could not continue her first game win,
dropping the next three games to junior Hannah Conant. With the
match tied at 4-4, number one Toby Eyre showed why she is ranked
number four in the country, coming back from a one-game deficit to
defeat Valeria Wiens and win the deciding match for the Ephs.
The Ephs will see match-play again next
weekend, with an away game at Brown and a home match against
Cornell.
