HANOVER, NH – The Ephs fell to Dartmouth today in a tight 8-1 loss. Facing one of their closest rivals in the national league, the team fought hard but eventually fell short to a strong squad.
Playing the three-court system, Charlotte Walsh (#9), Melissa Swann (#6), and Hayley Parsons (#3). Walsh started off strong, getting a first game off of her opponent, but eventually fell in four tight games. Parsons came back from a 1-0 deficit to get a game but also eventually fell 3-1. Swann played excellent squash against a strong opponent, dominating from start to finish and winning in three decisive games.
Next on court were Anna Nicholson (#8), Alyssa Ritchie (#5), and Esther Baek (#2). All three girls faced extremely difficult opponents but fought as tough as they good, taking many of the games to tie-breakers. All three eventually fell in three games, however, making the overall score 5-1 to Dartmouth.
Last round were Ellen Coombe (#7), Ananya Mahalingam-Dhingrs (#4), and Nicole Friedman (#1). Coombe played well but fell in three tight games to her opponent. Mahalingam-Dhingra came back from a 1-0 deficit to win 12-10 in the second game but eventually fell in four. Friedman faced an extremely skilled player and fought hard but eventually fell in a very well-played 3-2 match, making the overall score 8-1 to the Ephs.
Captain Alyssa Ritchie had this to say about the match: "Today match was a tough loss against Dartmouth. It's always hard driving to another school during the week, and Darmouth took advantage of our relatively weak performance today. We will definitely use the rest of the week to tighten up our games before Stanford on Sunday."
Assistant coach Blair Dils agreed with her sentiment, stating, "We were hoping for a better result tonight. We certainly played hard but in general needed to do better at 8 all and 9 all. Melissa Swann was the shining star tonight with her demolition of her opponent.
The Ephs will next play Stanford at Harvard on Sunday at 11am before two weeks of training in preparation for national championships at the end of February.
INDIVIDUAL SCORES TO COME.
