Squash places second in the Seven Sisters Tournament

In a series of tough battles, the no. 2 seed Vassar women's squash team fell to no. 1 seed Mount Holyoke College at the Seven Sisters Tournament on Feb. 6. After an early victory against Smith College, the Brewers came in second in the tournament for the fourth consecutive year.

The tournament started off with a bang for the no. 17-ranked Brewers in a decisive 9-0 win against Smith in the first semi-final match. This victory vaulted Vassar straight into the championship match later in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Mount Holyoke defeated Wellesley College in an equally impressive 9-0 bout. Smith then went on to defeat Wellesley 7-2 in the match to determine third place.

In the championship match, the Brewers fought hard to stop Mount Holyoke's streak of Seven Sisters wins. Though the final score was 7-2, the individual game scores reveal just how close the match was. "It was a close match game-point-wise," said Captain Emilie Kraft '10. "I think it was a really hard fight."

Vassar's two wins came from Meg Taylor '12 and Alexa Lichtenstein '13. Both victories were close. Taylor's match went to four games with a final score of 3-1 (9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8). After an initial setback against her opponent Paulina Rejek, Taylor made a forceful comeback with two clear wins leading to a tough final set. Lichtenstein's match against Mount Holyoke's Lila Khan went to five games. Though the final score was in her favor, the last game was especially close. The final score was 3-2 (5-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 12-10).

"The two Vassar victories from Meg Taylor, no. 6, and Alexa Lichtenstein, no. 7, showed the determination needed to conquer a team ranked quite a few notches above Vassar," wrote Head Coach Jane Parker in an e-mailed statement.

Though the teams fought hard on the court, the Seven Sisters Tournament was notable for its spirit of camaraderie among players because of their special relationship as students at Seven Sisters colleges. "It was a really friendly match," said Kraft of the atmosphere of the Seven Sisters Tournament.

"It is also a small event—four teams of ten players a side, who get to know each other quite well over their four years of college squash. It isn't as frantic as other events," wrote Parker. "The coaches are all good friends and also appreciate the opportunity to get together for a short time away from the competition scene."

Both the men's and women's squads will return to the competition scene when they face Columbia University, Connecticut College and Wesleyan University in the Vassar Team Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 13.