Women's Squash Upset, 5-4, in National Title Match

After Harvard came out on the winning side of a narrow 5-4 match against Trinity just two weeks ago, it was no surprise to anyone that it took another nailbiting finish between the two teams to determine a winner at the College Squash Association’s National Women’s Team Championships.

This time, however, the Crimson (14-1, 7-0 Ivy) fell just short in its bid for a third straight national title. Top-seeded Harvard lost to the Bantams, 5-4, in a whirlwind match that saw four contests go to five games and came down to the last match to crown a national champion. After going undefeated in the regular season, the defeat in the finals marked Harvard’s only loss this year.

“We have no regrets,” co-captain Natasha Anzik said. “We had some really good matches. Trinity’s a really good team, and I think we rose to the challenge and played really well. That’s really all you can ask for, just to give it your best.”

TRINITY 5, HARVARD 4

A year after Harvard defended its 2012 title with a 5-4 win over the Bantams, Trinity flipped the script with a 5-4 win of its own. The victory gave the Bantams its third national championship, and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.

After wins by junior Amanda Sobhy and freshman Dileas MacGowan helped Harvard crawl out of a 4-2 deficit and tie the match up at four wins apiece, all eyes turned to the one match still in progress. Sophomore Saumya Karki went up with a win in the first set, but Trinity freshman Anna Kimberley calmly worked her way back to take a 2-1 lead.

With alternating cheers of “Let’s go, Anna!” and “Let’s go, Saumya!” echoing through Jadwin Gymnasium at Princeton, Kimberley and Karki started what would become the decisive game. The two traded points back-and-forth, but after a Karki boast missed its mark, Kimberley took an 8-5 lead that would prove insurmountable.

A kill from Kimberley later in the game gave her a 10-8 advantage and two match ball opportunities. Despite a strong shot from Karki to close the lead to one point, Kimberley held on and took the fourth set, 11-9, to win the game, the match, and the national title for the Bantams.

“We had played Trinity before and beaten them,” Anzik said. “If everyone had played the same today, we would have won, so I think that put a lot of pressure on the girls who did win last time. Today Trinity was just very mentally tough, they had some great matches, and they outplayed us on the day.”

Trinity went up 4-2 after junior Ashley Tidman beat Harvard sophomore Michelle Gemmell in five games. Gemmell started strong, going up, 2-0, but could not keep up as Tidman cruised through the last three games to give Trinity the point at the seventh position.

With the remaining three matches must-wins for the Crimson, Sobhy left nothing to chance in the No. 1 spot. The junior breezed through her match, sweeping Trinity’s Kanzy El Defrawy to give Harvard another point in the win column. MacGowan followed up Sobhy’s victory with a five-game win of her own to even the match up, 4-4.

The Crimson started the match off well, getting two quick wins from sophomore Katie Tutrone and junior Megan Murray to go up, 2-0, early. Harvard’s other losses came at the second and eighth positions from junior co-captain Haley Mendez and senior Isabelle Dowling, respectively.

HARVARD 6, YALE 3

Ten days after a 7-2 win over Yale clinched the Ivy title for the Crimson, Harvard once again powered past its historic rivals to make its way into the national title match.

Four of the Crimson’s six wins came in straight sets, with the deciding win coming from Gemmell in the fifth spot. The sophomore clinched Harvard’s spot in the finals with an 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 win over Yale’s Jenny Scherl. Sobhy and Mendez led the way in the top two spots, sweeping both of their matches in straight sets.

HARVARD 9, DARTMOUTH 0

The Crimson started its quest to defend last year’s national title with a perfect 9-0 sweep of eighth-ranked Dartmouth. It was the third time this season that Harvard swept the Big Green.

The Crimson had perfect 3-0 wins in eight of the nine matches to advance to the semifinals, with the only dropped games coming in Isabelle Dowling’s 3-2 victory over Dartmouth’s Tori Dewy.

—Staff writer Glynis K. Healey can be reached at ghealey@college.harvard.edu.