ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Ephs defeated the University of Virginia today in a 7-2 win that marks their eighth straight victory in a row. Playing on Navy's courts in Annapolis, the Ephs remained strong from start to finish to defeat Virginia and make their overall weekend score 3-0. The match also marked the first time Williams squash has ever faced UVA and signals the start of what is sure to be a historic rivalry.
The Ephs have now fashioned a season record of 12-2 by compiling eight consecutive wins.
Playing the three-court system, Caroline Hogan (#9), captain Alyssa Ritchie (#6), and Esther Baek (#3) were on first. Hogan and Baek dominated from the moment they stepped on court, coming back from a 1-1 tie to both win their matches in four tight games. Ritchie, despite losing the second game 11-2, came back and also won in four games, making the overall match score 3-0 to the Ephs.
Next on court were Ellen Coombe (#8), Melissa Swann (#5), and Hayley Parsons (#2). Parsons and Coombe both dominated their matches from start to finish, defeating their opponents in three tight games, and making the overall match score 5-0. Swann, despite winning the first two games, faced a difficult player and ended up losing in a tie-breaking fifth game.
Last up were Anna Nicholson (#7), Ananya Mahalingam-Dhingra (#4), and Nicole Friedman (#1). Nicholson came back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat her opponent in five games, making her overall score for the weekend 3-0. Mahalingam-Dhingra came back from a 2-0 deficit to take her opponent to a fourth game but eventually fell 13-11 in the fourth. Friedman, despite facing a tough opponent and losing the second game, won 3-1 to make the overall match score 7-2 to the Ephs.
Charlotte Walsh (#10) and Eliza Bower (#11) also dominated their opponents, winning the exhibition matches 3-0 and 3-1, respectively.
Captain Alyssa Ritchie had this to say about the win: "I'm very excited by today's decisive win against UVA. We'd been building toward this match for a few weeks now, and I'm so pleased that each player excelled in their match today. It's very indicative of how hard the team has been training, and maintains our very competitive position in the B Division. I'm especially pleased with the 4 players who went 3-0 this weekend: Esther Baek, Anna Nicholson, Ellen Coombe, and Caroline Hogan. These girls won key matches for us each day and have performed well this weekend. I hope we can continue with these successes moving forward into this next week."
Assistant coach Blair Dils agreed with Ritchie's sentiment, stating "In many ways today was the toughest of our three matches this weekend, but the girls really responded to the challenge. We're playing great squash right now--everyone contributed this weekend--and we're in a great mindset in anticipation for our battle with Middlebury on Friday."
The win marks the third straight win of a very important weekend for the team, with three key victories that allow the Ephs to maintain their national ranking of #11.
The Ephs will next play at Middlebury on Friday after a week of training.
INDIVIDUAL SCORES TO COME.
