Women's Squash Takes Ivy Title with Sweep of Brown and Yale

By Glynis K. Healey, Crimson Staff Writer February 10, 2014

Sophomores Saumya Karki and Michelle Gemmell also swept their matches in the next two positions. Sophomore Isabelle Dowling and freshmen Dileas MacGowan, Megan Murray, and Caroline Monrad won their matches by scores of 3-0 as well. Harvard’s only dropped game came in the fifth position, as junior Julianne Chu battled back after losing the second set to close out the match with wins in the final two frames.

HARVARD 7, YALE 2

The Crimson started off the weekend with the tougher of its two matches, as it faced No. 4 Yale in the deciding match for at least a share of the Ivy League title. Harvard came away with a 7-2 win, with two of the victories coming in close matches that went to five sets to determine the winner.

“I think it was a great weekend to finish the end of our regular season games,” Anzik said. “We just focused on keeping mental focus, and I think that [the team] used everything they learned all season and really applied all of that to this weekend.”

After Sobhy and Tutrone cruised to easy wins in the first and third positions, respectively, junior Haley Mendez saw Harvard’s first real test of the match in the second spot. The co-captain outlasted Yale’s Kimberly Hay for a 3-2 victory after posting scores of 13-11, 8-11, 11-7, 2-11, and 11-8. Karki came away with another 3-2 victory in the fourth position to give the Crimson the upper hand.

MacGowan, Murray and Chu earned Harvard’s last three wins, while Gemmell and Dowling dropped close decisions in the fifth and eighth positions, respectively. The team now turns their attention to the national tournament in two weeks, where it will enter as the number-one seed.

“Going into nationals is just about continuing to keep doing what we’re doing,” Anzik said. “We’re going to have some very challenging matches during nationals, so everyone has their own specific thing to work on for the next two weeks. We’re all very fit and very happy with where we are right now, so we’re just focusing on getting through the next two weeks.”

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