AMHERST, MA – The Ephs defeated Wesleyan and Amherst today to win their 18th consecutive Little Three Championship title. The team defeated Wesleyan 8-1 and Amherst 9-0.
The Ephs first played Wesleyan, using the five court system. Memorable matches included captain Alyssa Ritchie's (#6), who came back from a 10-3 deficit to win 12-10 in the third game. Nicole Friedman (#1) also played excellent squash against a difficult opponent, managing to get 9 points in the second game against one of the top players in the nation. The rest of the team swept their matches 3-0, including Caroline Hogan (#10) and Eliza Bower (#11) in the exhibition matches.
Next up, the Ephs faced Amherst in the final match of the championship. Despite facing an increasingly strong squad, the Ephs remained strong and swept the team 9-0. Very few games were lost and the entire team showed determination and poise after a long weekend, remaining patient in their rallies and playing solid and aggressive squash.
Assistant coach Blair Dils had this to say about the victory: "We take pride in winning Little Threes. Winning all but one match was about as good as we could have expected to do today. We're looking forward to a great week of training ahead of NESCACS next weekend.
Captain Alyssa Ritchie agreed with him, stating, "Today we successfully continued the tradition of winning the Little Three's, defeating both Wesleyan and Amherst. I'm very pleased with each player's level of play today; every girl worked to improve their game while maintaining focus on their matches. We wish both Amherst and Wesleyan the best in the rest of their seasons."
The Ephs will return to Amherst again next weekend for NESCAC championships.
INDIVIDUAL SCORES TO COME.
