The 18th-ranked Lady Jeffs traveled to Harvard Univ. this past weekend, competing in the C Division of Nationals and hoping to capture the Walker Cup. Seeded second in their division, the Jeffs opened up play against Tufts Univ. on Friday, cruising to a 9-0 win. Not dropping a single game against the Jumbos, the women advanced to the semifinals of the competition, meeting third-seeded George Washington Univ. and losing a heartbreaker to the 19th-ranked (overall) Colonials.
The close matches, ultimately what make the biggest difference in squash, did not fall Amherst’s way on Saturday — of the afternoon’s four 3-2 contests, the Colonials tallied three wins.
The one five-game victory came from first-year and recent all-NESCAC selection Arielle Lehman, playing at No. 2, who defeated George Washington’s Kelly Barnes after falling behind two games to one.
Unfortunately for the Jeffs, the Colonials gained come-from-behind victories of their own, courtesy of Elizabeth Tapley and Tiffany Hangley, who beat Amherst’s Evelyn Kramer ’14 and Sarah Nyirjesy ’13, respectively, coming back from 0-2 deficits to win 3-2.
Lena Rice ’14 also fell in 3-2 fashion after taking a 2-1 lead.
Despite the 5-4 loss, the match did not come without individual highlights on the Amherst side; besides Lehman’s comeback, senior Kate Savage and juniors Mary Katherine McNeill and Ginny Wheeler each won by a 3-0 score.
After losing to George Washington, the Jeffs were bumped into the consolation bracket, playing for third place. In their final match of the season, the Jeffs not only looked to finish on a high note, but also avenge their 6-3 loss to Bowdoin in the NESCAC Championships on Feb. 4.
This time, however, the outcome could not have been more different. All nine Jeffs prevailed;.Wheeler recorded her second 3-0 victory of the weekend, while Lehman continued to roll, defeating Alden Drake, 3-1. Most importantly, every senior was able to end her Amherst career in strong fashion, particularly Anna Scheidt, who delivered the match of the day with a 3-2 victory over counterpart Elizabeth Schetman.
With the win, the Lady Jeffs finished their rocky 2011-12 campaign a respectable 13-10. While the squad loses six graduating seniors, including all-NESCAC tri-captain Savage, five more rising seniors will step in to fill leadership roles next year. After her stellar season, Lehman, too, will become a de facto leader come November.
Both Amherst squash teams will host the CSA Individual Championships this weekend (March 2-4) before heading into the offseason.
