WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – After a successful win against Middlebury on Wednesday, the Ephs headed into this match confident in their squash and in their ability to give the Jumbos a run for their money. In a very exciting outcome and a significant upset, the Ephs came back from a 4-2 deficit to win the match 5-4, gaining the first win over Tufts in many years.
First on court were Melanie Wang, Rhea Pandit, and Nora Brant. Looking around midway through these matches, all three courts were at a score of 1-1 in games, setting an exciting tone and foreshadowing a close match. Ultimately, Pandit pulled ahead of her opponent, winning in four games and posting the first point on the board for the Ephs. At the same time, Wang and Brant fell to strong opponents in four games each.
Next on court, Naomi Jefferson-Sambanis made quick work of her opponent, defeating the Jumbo in three games and putting the second point on the board for the Ephs. At the same time, Rachel Miller and Christina Yen lost tough matches in straight games.
Heading into the final round of matches, the Ephs were down 4-2 to the Jumbos, and the last three Eph players knew they needed to step up for their team to get the win. Throughout these final matches, the Ephs were neck-in-neck with their opponents and energy was high. With laser focus, Theresa Kay beat her Jumbo opponent in three decisive games. At the same time, Sophia Koehler gained a strong two game lead. After dropping the third, Koehler came back to win the match and tie up the score for the Ephs. All sights were then on captain Amanda Solecki as she battled in the fourth game, up 2-1. After being down 10-8 in a most precarious position, Solecki fought hard to tie up the score, and ultimately win the match 12-10, setting off a screaming Williams home crowd.
After the match, Eph head coach Hesham Aly had a big smile on his face. He commented, "I am very proud of how the team played today. We knew this would be a tough one, but everyone showed up, and we deserved that win. It's great to see all of our hard work paying off".
The Ephs will bask in the win for now, but must maintain focus and intensity heading into an important home match against rival Amherst this Wednesday.
