ITHACA, NY – Last night, the Williams Women's Squash Team traveled to Ithaca to compete in the opening match of the season against #5 ranked Stanford. Heading into the match, the Ephs, seeded #14, knew it would be a difficult one. Ultimately, the Ephs fought hard and played well to put an impressive 2 points on the board against Stanford.
First up, #6 Nora Brant and #3 Rhea Pandit took to the courts. The captain and sophomore faced off against strong opponents, and while they demonstrated skillful hand ship, both fell in straight games. Also on first, #9 Naomi Jefferson-Sambanis, showed grit and determination to come back after losing the first game, dominating the next three to take home the first win of the season and put a point on the board for the Ephs.
In Round 2, #7 Anika Kakarla, #2 Sophia Koehler and #4 Rachel Miller took to the courts and challenged skillful opponents. While playing smart squash and putting in the work, all three sophomores lost in three games.
The last round began, and #1 Melanie Wang and #5 Theresa Kay stepped on court. They fought hard and played strategic shots, but both fell 3-0 to their opponents. A few courts over, however, #8 Amanda Solecky played a close match in front of many fans. The captain played to her strengths by using the volley and fast pace to win the match 3-1. Solecki closed it out with a score of 13-11 in the fourth game in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
After her strong performance, Solecki commented, "I'm really proud of the team for showing up and putting up a strong fight in our season opener against Stanford. It feels great to be back competing together, and I believe we have a really strong team this season. Competing today was so much fun, and I am happy with my personal performance. I felt motivated to give it my all for the team, and I'm excited to see how we grow and improve as the season progresses."
This was an impressive showing for the Ephs against a highly ranked team, with a final score of 7-2. This marks a very positive start to the 2024-25 season, and the Ephs are looking forward to what is to come.
The Ephs will continue tomorrow with a match against #8 ranked Cornell at noon, and round out the weekend by traveling to Hamilton and competing against the Continentals at 6:30pm.
