HARTFORD, Conn. – The No. 26 Haverford College women's squash team (9-7) dropped the Epps Cup third place match to No. 25 Colby (7-13) by a 7-2 final as the top two seeds in the division squared off on Sunday morning inside the Kellner Squash Center at Trinity College. Haverford posted both its victories at the top two flights, as Kaitlin Reese and Isabelle Johnson each grabbed wins for the Fords.
Reese made quick work of Sydney Ku, taking a sweep with 11-8, 11-9, 11-6. Reese finishes her team season with an 11-5 record. The junior is currently sixth in Haverford career history with 32 individual wins, while 17 of those triumphs have come at the top flight.
Johnson was locked in a marquee battle with Julianna Song at the second flight. Johnson took a 11-7 win in the first game, but Song responded with consecutive victories before Johnson outlasted Song in the fourth game in a back-and-forth 14-12 triumph. With the stage set for the decisive fifth game, Johnson shined, easily dispatching Song by an 11-3 final.
Elsewhere on the ladder, Sophie Jackson nearly toppled Stephanie Keane at the seventh flight. Jackson jetted out to a 1-0 lead after an 11-9 win in the first game, and made her opponent work in consecutive close defeats by 11-8 and 11-9 finals. With the momentum of the match still very much undecided, Jackson rallied for an 11-8 victory to force a decisive fifth game. Keane ultimately was able to outlast Jackson 11-6 to put a tally in Colby's ledger.
At the ninth flight, Eva Tamkin pulled ahead over Kathleen He, taking the first game by an 11-7 final. In the exhibition, Stephanie Lukez glided over Philomena Gildea, sweeping her opponent 11-5, 11-7, 11-5.
The Fords finished 2019 with their most victories in a single season since the 2014-15 campaign, and will take the No. 28 overall ranking into the offseason, the best year-end ranking for the women's squad since the 2005-06 season.
With the team championships now completed, Haverford will now turn its attention to the CSA Individual Championships, which will begin on Friday, March 1 in Providence, R.I. More information and draws for the event will be announced later this week.