HAVERFORD, Pa. - The 35th-ranked Haverford College women's squash team battled visiting Vassar College for every point Saturday afternoon but fell 5-4 at the Gardner Integrated Athletic Center Squash Courts.

The young Fords (2-8) exhibited immense growth in the narrow defeat as the Brewers (6-5) had claimed a 9-0 victory over Haverford on the opening weekend of the season in the Guy Fawkes Challenge.

Samara Flug, at No. 6, helped get the Fords off to a good start in the match with a 3-0 victory (11-5, 11-3, 11-9) over Nancy Zhang. After Alisa Strayer suffered a close 3-2 loss to Jill Levine at No. 4, Haverford earned its second win of the day when Miriam Fuchs, playing at No. 9, took down Devina Vaid with a 3-1 victory (11-5, 4-11, 11-9, 11-8).

Freshman Bethany Simmonds, at No. 2, gave the Fords a 3-2 lead in the contest with a 3-1 win over Alex Bowditch before 33rd-ranked Vassar clinched the overall victory by winning the next three matches. Sophomore Alex Love capped off Haverford's inspired effort with an 11-4, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6 victory at No. 2.

Earlier in the day, the Fords fell to 29th-ranked Georgetown University, 8-1. Caroline Nightingale, playing at No. 1, registered the lone win for Haveford as she rallied past Chloe Fross by a score of 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6). Simmonds played well in defeat as she fought back from a 2-0 deficit to push Carolyn Meister to the limit before falling 3-2 in a heartbreaker (7-11, 2-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-13).

The Fords host another tri-match next Saturday as they welcome 14th-ranked Franklin & Marshall College to the GIAC Squash Courts for an 11 a.m. match. The match against the Diplomats precedes a 3 p.m. contest with No. 30 Johns Hopkins University.