Ephs beat Mammoths and Cardinals to clinch 19th consecutive Little Three title

MIDDLETOWN, CT - The Williams Women's squash team played with focus and heart this weekend to beat their rivals, Amherst and Wesleyancaptured their 19^th consecutive title of Little Three champions.

After a thrilling weekend of upsets and lots of squash last weekend, the Ephs rallied once again for Little Threes, this year played at Wesleyan. The team was ready to face first their rival, Amherst College at 1 pm. Starting off the match were Anna Nicholson, Abby Leblanc, and Julia Ward at the number nine, six, and three positions respectively. Anna Nicholson won quickly in 3 games against an opponent who used lots of lobs and sneaky drop shots. Abby Leblanc played fiercely in a 5-game battle, ultimately winning due to her endurance and determination to defeat her opponent. Julia Ward also won in 3 games.

Up next on court were Caroline Hogan and Sarah Willwerth, at the number 8 and 5 positions, and both won in 4 games. Esther Baek, co-captain Hayley Parsons, Melissa Swann, and Co-captain Nicole Friedman all went on to win in 3 games, with Parsons' opponent defaulting due to illness. The match was a landslide victory despite Amherst's strong fight, and it was a wonderful day to honor the long-term friendly rivalry between the two liberal arts giants.

Up next was the Ephs' match against Wesleyan. Towards the bottom and middle of the ladder, numbers 9-4 all won easily in 3 games. Highlights of the match include co-captain Hayley Parson's 5-gamer against her Cardinal opponent, which she won 12-10 in the 5^th game, to the excitement of a large crowd. Co-captain Nicole Friedman, at the number one position, played an incredible match against one of the top 5 players in the nation, managing to get a game in her usual gracefully determined way.

Co-captain Nicole Friedman said, "I am so proud of the team for winning Little Threes and continuing the legacy for Williams for the 19th year in a row. There was a lot of pressure to beat these long time rivals and we executed extremely well. Looking forward to another great match tomorrow."

Assistant coach Blair Dils commented, "The team took care of business today in an efficient manner. Tomorrow, we're very excited to make amends for our loss at Nationals last year to UVA."