LANCASTER, PA – For their first match of 2023, the Williams women's squash travelled to Franklin and Marshall to continue their streak of away matches. Ten days ago, after a restful break, the Ephs returned to campus to restart training for this match and the many to follow. Despite the break, the team defeated the Diplomats in a 5-4 win.
Tonight's match followed the 5-court system. The first five matches to finish were played by #2
Quan Ng, #6
Nora Brant, #7
Deena Iqbal, #8
Isabel Kelly, and #9
Roshni Pal. On top court, Ng found herself face to face with a talented opponent and fell in straight games. At the same time, the bottom of the ladder Brant, Iqbal, Kelly, and Pal were entrenched in securing crucial wins for the Ephs. They kept their strategies simple, played quality length, and each won 3-0.
Amanda Solecki, although beginning with the first group, played through the second round in a nail-biting match. With the match score at 4-1, she played an imperative role in the Ephs' final victory. Solecki began by winning the first game 12-10 followed by a tiebreak in the second as well. This time the back-and-forth continued until she closed it out at 20-18. Solecki dropped games 3 and 4 but was able to persevere to close out the fifth game 11-9, securing the 5
th win of the day.
As Solecki finished, #1
Haley Jefferson, #3
Theresa Kay, #5
Mira Kamat stepped on court. Despite battling injuries and illnesses, Jefferson, Kay, and Kamat, gave their matches their full effort. Jefferson went up 2-0 against a strong Diplomat opponent but lost the next two. The #1s found themselves in long rallies in the fifth, and Franklin and Marshall secured the match 12-10. Kay and Kamat had close games, too, with Kamat winning her first 13-11, but these two were also not able to get their wins today.
After the match, senior
Mira Kamat commented, "This was our first match of 2023 and it wasn't easy, but I'm super proud the way the team managed to pull through. This is only just the beginning of the battles we have ahead of us, but we have so much time and potential for growth. Huge props to Amanda for her big win!"
The Ephs will continue their weekend on the road by travelling to the US Naval Academy to challenge the Georgetown Hoyas tomorrow at 12 pm.
