WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – This afternoon, the Williams women's squash team challenged NESCAC rival and #11 ranked Tufts in another intense, home court battle. Following three tough loses to this team last season, the Ephs showed up today with a fire inside of them. Unfortunately, they fell short in a handful matches leading to an 8-1 loss.
Today's first round began with matches by #3
Mira Kamat, #6
Nora Brant, and #8
Isabel Kelly. Paired against a strong Jumbo opponent, Kamat focused on moving her opponent around the court but unfortunately fell in straight games. Brant, too, found herself down rather quickly. Following an 11-1 loss in the second, she came back with a new pace and intensity to take the third but couldn't continue this streak in the fourth. Kelly traded games back and forth with her opponent. She was strategic in placing the ball in the front of the court and moving around, but a few too many errors in the fifth cost her the match.
The Ephs were already down 3-0 when the second group of players stepped on court. #1
Haley Jefferson did not lose her focus because of this. She locked into a tough battle with her Jumbo opponent. With great movement and strong drop shots, Jefferson put away the second game 11-4. Her opponent took the next two for a 3-1 victory. Next door, #5
Deena Iqbal used boasts and cross courts to win some solid points but ultimately fell in straight games. #9
Nikita Srivastava was beginning bottom court's 2
nd 5-game match. The Eph captain found length and volleys to secure games 1 and 3. She dropped games 2 and 4 but kept her focus in fifth. The crowd was roaring as the score reached 8-8. Srivastava and her Jumbo opponent rallied and traded points back and forth. Everyone was on the edge of their seats as Tufts just barely secured a frustrating 19-17 victory.
The team remained calm and confident as they began the final round of the day. #2
Quan Ng faced off against a strong opponent. She maintained close games but was slightly edged out for a 3-0 loss. #4
Amanda Solecki kept her mind steady as she stepped on court. She had an incredible performance today, showing particular strength in the front of the court. Solecki's confidence and skill led her to 3-1 victory and the only point of the day for the Ephs. Finally, to wrap up the afternoon, it was time for #7
Roshni Pal to demonstrate her talent. Pal played three close 11-9 games, back-to-back, and with some great shots to the back left corner, won the second. Her Jumbo opponent got the upper hand in the fourth to take the match.
After the match,
Nora Brant commented "I'm really proud of how hard the team fought today. We showed a lot of grit and skill, and it feels like we are just one step away from unlocking the level that I know we can play at. And shoutout to Amanda for an incredible match today! I can't wait to see it all keep falling into place and to take on Amherst next weekend."
The Ephs will use this loss as fuel for an intense week of training before their biggest match of the season next Friday against Amherst. Hope to see you all there.
