Grigg Helps Crimson Overpower Yale

Blame it on the snow. Thanks to the Valentine’s Day snow storm, last night’s women’s squash match against Yale lacked the electricity usually provided by the post-season implications of the annual late season meeting between the two rivals. That’s because the match, which was originally slated to be played last Wednesday, had to be postponed a week—meaning it took place after, and not before, the Crimson’s national championship match against Princeton at the Howe Cup last weekend.

Luckily, the point proved to be moot, as Harvard (9-2, 4-2 Ivy) handled the Bulldogs (8-6, 3-3 Ivy) easily, winning six matches to three. The Crimson were led by efficient four game victories from senior captain Kyla Grigg (9-3, 9-1, 1-9, 10-8) and senior Audrey Duboc (6-9, 9-4, 10-8, 9-5), as well as an impressive come from behind win from junior Supriya Balsekar (7-9, 8-10, 9-3, 9-3, 9-3). The match was also especially significant to Grigg, whose 3-1 win last night completed an undefeated season for the Crimson star. Grigg said that going unbeaten in her senior season was something she had been thinking about since the beginning of the winter.

“It was a goal of mine,” she said, “I had never had an undefeated season, so it was a high goal I set for myself, and I’m psyched I achieved it.”

Harvard also received support from the future of its program, as three of its four freshman playing in the top nine secured victories, led by Johanna Snyder in the sixth spot.

The Crimson’s second-place finish last weekend made it only natural to worry that last night’s anti-climactic matchup with the Bulldogs might catch Harvard off guard. Grigg acknowledged the postponement was a mental obstacle, but also saw the bright side in the rescheduling.

“I think definitely it was a bit more difficult to get motivated for,” she said, “but I think it was actually to our advantage, because if we had played [last Wednesday] and lost, we would have had a worse seeding at the Howe Cup.”

Head Coach Satinder Bajwa, while admitting last night’s Yale game may have seemed anti-climactic compared to the national championship match, stressed the importance of the match in the context of the Crimson’s ultimate national standing.

“I think we had something to prove,” he said, “because people were still thinking that maybe we had a lucky win against Penn. We beat Penn, and then we beat Trinity barely, and then Yale beat Trinity [in the first round of the Howe Cup], so if we had lost today, it would have meant that we would end up ranked #3...so we had a lot to play for.”

Before the match, Harvard’s four seniors—Grigg, Duboc, Lydia Williams, and Sarah Thorndike—were honored by their coaches and fellow players.

Although Grigg has played her last regular season match for Coach Bajwa, she is not done yet. The ISA Individual Championships begin March 2nd, and Grigg is ready to put her undefeated record to the test.

“I feel great,” she said, “This is actually the best I’ve felt in my three years here...I think it would be so exciting just to have a wicked final, work my butt off, and to know that no matter what happens I worked my hardest.

“I had never had an undefeated season, so it was a high goal I set for myself, and I’m psyched I achieved it.”