PRINCETON, NJ – The Ephs fell in the consolation finals today to the University of Virginia. After a tough 5-4 loss, the team finishes their season with a national ranking of #14.
Playing the three-court system, Charlotte Walsh (#9), Melissa Swann (#6), and Hayley Parsons (#3) were up first. Walsh dominated her opponent from start to finish, winning handily in three games and ending her career on Williams squash with a win. Swann played a battle of a match, taking her opponent to a fifth game and winning 13-11 in the final game to get the Ephs their second point. Parsons, like Walsh, dominated from start to finish against a tough opponent, winning in three games and making the score 3-0 to Williams.
Next on court were senior Ellen Coombe (#8), captain Alyssa Ritchie (#5), and Esther Baek (#2). Coombe faced a tough opponent, and despite getting a game, eventually fell 3-1. Ritchie also fought hard, taking her opponent to a tie-breaking 12-10 in the first but lost in three close games. Baek got a first game off of her opponent, but was unable to finish her off and after fighting hard, eventually fell in four games, making the score 3-3.
Last on court were Anna Nicholson (#7), Ananya Mahalingam-Dhingra (#4), and Nicole Friedman (#1). Nicholson played a difficult opponent and managed to take her to five games, but eventually fell in the fifth game, making the score 4-3 to UVA. Friedman dominated from start to finish, winning in three games and making the score 4-4. Mahalingam-Dhingra was last on court for the deciding match, and despite coming back from a 2-1 deficit to force a fifth game, eventually fell in a close fifth game.
Head coach Zafi Levy had this to say about the final match - "We played very well this weekend against some of the best competition in the country. We just came short today against UVA, especially with two tough five game matches, but everyone played extremely well. I'm very proud of the team and very proud of the dedication and hard work from our three seniors – Alyssa, Ellen, and Charlotte – throughout the season and their careers on the team."
Captain Alyssa Ritchie had these final words to say: "I am so proud of the effort this team put forth this season. Though it may not have ended with the best result, each girl worked incredibly hard and significantly improved over the past seven months. We fought hard this weekend, and the effort was indicative of these girls' awesome attitudes. I am so proud of these girls and am lucky to have been a part of this team for 4 years."
