In the No. 1 matchup, junior co-captain Louisa Hall faced Helal, the No. 1 college player in the nation. Hall had lost to Helal the past two years.

This time appeared to be no different, as a sluggish Hall quickly dropped the first game, 9-0.

In the second game, she fell behind 6-0 before rallying for three straight points. Yet she ultimately went down 9-3, often swinging her racket in anger at the referee’s calls.

In the third game, Hall struck back aggressively for a 9-2 win to cut her deficit to one game.

“The game got away from Louisa in the first two,” Harvard coach Satinder Bajwa said. “But when she won the third game she showed that she can pick it up.”

Nevertheless, Hall, who had been slowed by the stomach flu since Wednesday, did not have the energy to continue her comeback and stumbled in the fourth game, losing 9-0.

“I’ve been throwing up all week, so it was a hard thing to get motivated for,” Hall said of the match.

But Hall pointed out that her illness was only one factor in her loss and acknowledged the skill of her opponent.

Sophomore Hilary Thorndike, playing in the No. 6 spot, went up two games against Clare Austin and led 7-4 in the third, only to fall in five games.

Labeling her match “a total disaster,” Thorndike said that, as she lost her composure, she became increasingly frustrated with herself, contributing to her collapse.

“Really, my mental game just wasn’t there,” Thorndike said.

At No. 3 , freshman Moira Weigel cited fatigue as one factor in her four-game loss, although she was quick to point out that it was not an excuse.

The Crimson players said this defeat would serve as fodder for future competitions.

“I think the score of this match was deceptive and that we’re a lot closer than the score seems to indicate,” Weigel said.

“I’m encouraged by how close everyone was,” Hall added. “If games can go to four or five [games], they can easily be won. This match is really just a preparation for nationals where it really counts.”

Harvard is likely to encounter Trinity again at the Howe Cup on Feb. 14-16, when the national championship will be at stake.

With a match against No. 11 Amherst tonight before Ivy League matchups against No. 6 Penn and No. 4 Princeton this weekend, the Crimson has a full plate before traveling to Yale for the Howe Cup.

“We had a tough loss today, but I think that everyone was totally mentally there, and a win over Trinity is doable,” Wilkins said.

—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.