HAVERFORD, Pa. - The No. 29 Haverford College women's squash team (6-5) picked up two wins on Saturday at the GIAC Squash Courts, dispatching No. 35 Bucknell and No. 31 Vassar by identical 8-1 finals. Kaitlin Reese won twice at the second flight to pull to a tie with Rachel Kaplan '99 for the most wins in program career history (38).
Haverford 8, Bucknell 1
In the morning match with the Bison, Haverford recorded six sweeps. One of those six came at the top flight as Isabelle Johnson was able to turn away Ellie Hopkins in straight games (11-8, 11-7, 11-8). Haverford received a hard-fought victory from co-captain Reese at the second flight. Reese took the first game, but was edged in the second. Undaunted, Reese returned with consecutive wins to pull to within one win of Rachel Kaplan '99 for first place on the program's all-time career leaderboard.
Shreya Singh was locked in arguably the most thrilling match of the morning session at the third flight as she battled Caroline Featherston in a five-gamer. Featherston took consecutive 11-7 wins to put Singh in an early hole, but Singh stormed back with consecutive 11-7 wins of her own to force the decisive fifth game. As if the fifth game could have ended any other way, Singh took yet another 11-7 final to assure a win at the third flight for Haverford.
Tia Brown was on the wrong side of another thriller at the fourth flight, as she took the first game over Caroline Fakharzadeh with relative ease before the Bison opponent evened things up. The next two games went extra points, with Brown grabbing a 12-10 victory before falling 11-13. In the longest match of the day, Fakharzadeh outlasted Brown in yet another 11-9 thriller in the fifth and final game. Sunny Chai returned to the ladder at the fifth flight, surrendering just 11 total points in a comprehensive sweep of Hannah Yeager (11-3, 11-1, 11-7). At the sixth, Maisie Smith was able to glide over Charlotte Hoffberger, surrendering just five total points (11-4, 11-1, 11-0).
Sophia Jackson returned to the ladder for a sweep of Emily Tyler at the seventh flight (11-4, 11-6, 11-2) and Urgyen Wangmo got the best of Emma Stone at the eighth (11-5, 11-5, 11-6). Caroline Smith recorded the victory over Peyton Dripps at the ninth flight (11-2, 11-5, 11-2), surrendering just nine total points.
Haverford improves to 6-3 all-time against Bucknell, including four consecutive wins. Haverford edged Bucknell at the CSA Team Championships last season.
Haverford 8, Vassar 1
Haverford matched up with a Vassar side that came into the contest ranked No. 31 in the nation but was edged by Bucknell, 5-4, in the neutral site match.
Johnson was victorious over Claire Coss at the first flight, shaking off a second-game loss to win in four (11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8). Reese tied Kaplan's record with a quick sweep of Nichole Pihlstrom, as the senior needed just 15 minutes to pull away at the second flight to assure the milestone (11-3, 11-2, 11-5). Singh had an easier time in the second match of the day, dispatching Samantha Henderson in a relatively straightforward sweep (11-7, 11-8, 11-6) at the third flight.
Chai posted a clean sweep of Isabel Bronson at the fifth flight (11-8, 11-9, 11-4), while Maisie Smith needed just 14 minutes to reach victory in her triumph over Alexa Elias (11-4, 11-3, 11-1) at the sixth. Jackson allowed just seven total points to Odie Berkson at the seventh (11-3, 11-2, 11-2) and Wangmo recorded another sweep at the eighth, allowing just 10 total points to Lucie Bisbee (11-4, 11-2, 11-4). Caroline Smith allowed just six total points in her sweep of Caitlin Lewis at the ninth flight (11-4, 11-2, 11-2). In exhibition action, Hannah Adler swept past Miralah Michels-Gualtieri (11-3, 11-3, 11-1).
Haverford has now won four straight against Vassar, sweeping the home-and-home season series from the Brewers.
Haverford will return to play at home next Saturday, taking on Denison as the Big Red make the trek from the Buckeye State. Haverford will also re-match with Bucknell. Matches are slated to begin at 10:30 am. The contests will also represent Senior Day for the Fords, with Women's Squash recognizing its senior class of Kaitlin Reese, Sunny Chai, and Sophia Jackson prior to the start of the morning match.