Though the Women's United States Squash Racquets Association (WUSSRA) tournament is an individual competition, the Harvard women's squash team went as a team and finished as one.
At the tourney held last weekend in Williamstown, Mass., the Crimson showed that although it may not have any of the highest ranked individuals, as a unit Harvard is the best women's squash team in the nation.
Unfortunately, the teamwork and enthusiasm that generate the team success are not enough to guarantee an individual championship.
"They all performed extremely well," Harvard Coach Priscilla Choate said of the five Harvard women who participated in the tournament. "The fact that they lasted as long as they did really shows how well they played."
The WUSSRA tournament differs from the men's competition in that it is strictly an individual event and is open to more experienced professional players.
Nevertheless, the five Caniabs Mary Hulbert, Diana Edge, Ingrid Boyum, Diana Staley and Marry Winnick--all achieved individual successes.
Fender Bender
Co-captain Hulbert made the biggest dent as she overcame a second-round loss to sixth-seeded Karen Kelso of Penn to advance to the semi-finals of the feed in consolation round.
Boyum meanwhile advanced to the third round before falling to a much older player Sally Field.
The most promising Harvard performance, however, came from freshman Diana Edge, who advanced to the third round before losing a heartbreaker to Marianne Greenberg of New York.
The match went to a liebreaker in the fifth game before Edge succumbed to her more experienced foe.
On the Edge
"I was very disappointed at first," commented Edge. "But I think I played well enough to win. When a match goes that far, it can go either way."
Choate praised the efforts of all five of the women and looks at the tournament as a positive experience for the whole team.
No one could ask more from a team that captured the national title only a week before.
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