HAVERFORD, Pa. – In its home opener at the GIAC Squash Courts on Tuesday evening, the No. 30 Haverford Women's Squash team was defeated by visiting No. 21 Wellesley, 8-1. Kaitlin Reese picked up a five-game victory for the Fords while Isabelle Gotuaco forced a fifth game with a determined effort after dropping the first two to her opponent. Haverford sits at 1-6 on the season thus far while Wellesley improves to 4-2 with the road win.
In the first round of matches, The Blue took the opening win at No. 9 as Audrey Folk triumphed over Stephanie Lukez. Olivia Franco was then defeated by Eunbie Coe at the No. 4 spot on the ladder while Sophia Jackson fell to Elena Ubeda in the No. 8 spot after taking the second game with a well-played effort.
The second round of matches saw Emilia Cobbs battle to a 12 to 10 victory in the second game before falling to Meredith Curry at the No. 6 spot while Isabel Agnew was defeated by Haley Connor at the No. 3 position.
At No. 2, Reese prevailed in five games, recovering after dropping the first game to Eva Mullarkey by a tally of 8 to 11. The freshman played with a renewed focus and smart game plan throughout the match. In the fifth game, Reese relied on playing the back left corner, causing Mullarkey to alter her shot to Reese's advantage. After an energetic victory, Reese pulls to 4-3 individually on the season.
The final round of matches saw Anna Kullnigg fall to Lumi Kinjo at No. 7 while Ruby Fena got the best of Mason McNulty at No. 5.
The final match of the night was between Gotuaco and Meera Nayar at the No. 1 spot on the ladder. The Fords co-captain had a battle with a much taller Nayar, which forced Gotuaco to play with more accuracy after falling in the first two games. Gotuaco was successful in forcing a fifth game by playing the ball to length and keeping solid position at the T line. Nayar was able to prevail after grabbing command with an early lead in the decisive game.
Haverford will next return to action as the homestand will continue on Saturday against No. 27 Vassar. The match is slated for 2:00 p.m at the GIAC Squash Courts.