W. Squash Posts Shutout of Williams

The stiffest challenge for the Harvard women’s squash team so far this year has been the long lay-off in the middle of the season. The Crimson (3-0, 2-0 Ivy) knocked off any rust from its rackets with a 9-0 stomping of Williams (0-2) yesterday.

“It’s always hard to have your season start up right after the break, especially for us since we still have exams,” co-captain Louisa Hall said. “So it’s encouraging in this match to see people come out and be ready to go.”

Harvard dominated the competition, with three-game wins in all but one match. Hall posted the only perfect win, 9-0, 9-0, 9-0, against Clare Whipple, who took the regular spot of Eph No. 1 Adrienne Ellman, absent with a back injury.

Five other Crimson players allowed a measly four points or fewer in their matches.

Freshman Courtney Wallach made things interesting in the No. 8 slot by going the full five games to put away Kate Neal.

Wallach won a tight first game 10-9, but lost two straight, 9-5, 9-4, to Neal in a match that featured many let calls. The long games added to the extended lay-off, and Wallach missed a number of shots below the tin.

“It was maybe the second time I played in three weeks,” Wallach said. “In squash if you’re rusty and if you’re hitting deeper shots, it’s really a weakness because they’re points you would usually win.”

But Wallach, buoyed by a small crowd of friends and teammates, pulled out the last two games 9-4, 9-6 to preserve the shutout.

In a match that didn’t count towards the win, sophomore Stephanie Hendricks saw her first action this season in the No. 10 spot. Hendricks had been out with an ankle injury but appeared ready to contribute again with a convincing 9-0, 9-3, 9-0 victory.

“I’m a little rusty, and my movement needs improvement,” Hendricks said. “But it was nice to be back with the team.”

Hendricks will likely move up the ladder in today’s scrimmage against Yale, which the Crimson is using as a preliminary gauge in the tight race for the Ivy League crown.

“I’m really excited to see how we do in this scrimmage because we’re working so hard, and I feel every time we play Yale we’ll get a little bit better,” Hall said.

Though Harvard won the preseason Ivy scrimmages, including a victory over Yale, the Bulldogs were shorthanded at the time. Now the Crimson is at a disadvantage with the burden of reading period. Freshman Moira Weigel is also out for the round-robin match.

“We have Steph back, which is huge for us,” Hall said. “But it’s really hard to be back to ‘full strength’ with everyone concentrating on exams and writing papers. Yale right now has been staying in a hotel and just been training.”

Harvard resumes its season for good at the Constable Invitation at Princeton, held Jan. 24 to 26.

—Staff writer Brenda E. Lee can be reached at belee@fas.harvard.edu.