WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The #16 ranked Williams College women's squash team came out firing on all cylinders against #17 Colby College, turning what looked like a close match into a commanding 7-2 victory for the Ephs.
The Ephs used their depth to win quick matches at the bottom of the ladder, with Alicia Chen winning 11-5, 11-9, 11-0 at #7, Anika Kakarla winning 11-8, 13-11, 11-6 at #6, Naomi Jefferson-Sambanis winning 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 at #9, and Sophia Koehler winning 11-4, 11-7, 11-9 at #5. Colby was able to take its first win the #1 spot over Melanie Wang.
At #2 on the ladder, Rhea Pandit played a smart match against a strong opponent to clinch the match for the Ephs. After dropping the first game 9-11, Pandit came back to win three close games, 11-9 in both the second and third games, followed by an exciting 15-13 win in the fourth, which gave Williams a 5-1 lead.
Mahika Gupta got the next win for the Ephs, winning 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-9) at #8, and Roshni Pal gave Williams a seventh victory, winning 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6) at #4. Colby closed the day by winning its second match at #3 over Frances Brooks.
The Ephs will head right back to work on Sunday afternoon, continuing a tough weekend against closely-matched opposition, this time facing #18 Bowdoin College. The match will start at 11 a.m. at the Simon Squash Center.a
