AMHERST, Mass. - Returning to competition for the first time in 2022, the Haverford College women's squash team competed at the prestigious Pioneer Valley Invitational on Saturday, taking the court at the Davenport Squash Courts on the Amherst campus. The 28th-ranked Fords (2-5) dropped a pair of matches to NESCAC foes, falling to No. 24 Wesleyan by an 8-1 final, and No. 23 Hamilton by a 9-0 tally.
Wesleyan 8, Haverford 1
The Fords had some strong performances against a familiar foe in the Cardinals of Wesleyan. Haverford received its individual match victory at the second flight, where Ariana Solecki was a standout in her matchup against Anika Kewalramani. Refusing to surrender, Solecki fended off a first game loss to rattle off consecutive game wins, including a 15-13 extra points triumph that captivated her teammates. Kewalramani battled back to force a fight game, but Solecki was able to stick to her matchplan, turning away the Cardinals second flight player behind a methodical 11-8 victory.
In other notable action on the ladder, Emi Krishnamurthy forced her opponent to a deciding fifth game behind a pair of game victories to begin things, challenging Emma Smith with 12-10 and 11-4 triumphs in the first two stanzas. It was Smith who was able to complete the reverse sweep, downing Krishnamurthy at the fifth flight in a fantastic battle between two evenly matched opponents. Catherine Fortin showed poise in the third game against Marangela James at the third flight, forcing her opponent to extra points, while Izzy Johnson did the same at the top flight, locking horns with Laila Kewalaramani.
Hamilton 9, Haverford 0
In the nightcap with the Continentals of Hamilton, it was an uphill battle for the Fords as they tussled with one of the premier teams of the NESCAC. It was Izzy Johnson who set the tone at the top flight, winning a game from Sarah Stonestreet, while Fortin grabbed a game at the third flight. Maisie Smith and Krishnamurthy took their opponents to the brink in their contests at the seventh and fifth flights, respectively.
The Fords now return to action tomorrow, wrapping up the Pioneer Valley Invitational with a matchup against No. 10 Amherst. The contest is slated to begin at 11 a.m. in Amherst, Mass.