After a devastating loss to Harvard for the Ivy League title, the women’s squash team bounced back to take both the Howe Cup and the national championship. But just one week later, the Crimson again proved to be too much for the Elis at the Collegiate Squash Association National Championship, held March 3-5 at Amherst College, as a pair of Cantabs finished 1-2 in the Ramsay Cup, the tournament’s top bracket.

Harvard rookie Lily Lorentzen defeated teammate Kyla Grigg in an all-Cantab final to claim her first individual championship. Two-time defending champion Michelle Quibell ’06 was unable to win her third title, losing 3-0 to Grigg in the quarterfinals. While Lorentzen and Grigg improved to No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, Quibell dropped to No. 3 in the final individual season standings.

“It was kind of a disappointment for everyone,” Quibell said. “I don’t think anyone played very well. We all went in kind of burned out and a little bit sick of squash at that point.”

Although just two months earlier Eli players had comprised the final four at Princeton’s Constable Tournament, which Harvard skipped, the Bulldogs found little success at the Ramsay Cup. Miranda Ranieri ’08 defeated Harvard’s Jen Blumberg 3-2 to advance to the semifinals, but lost to Grigg later that day. Lorentzen defeated Catherine McLeod ’07 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and Eli captain Amy Gross ’06 fell in the second round consolation final.

While the Elis’ season may not have ended the way they had planned, Quibell said she is proud of her team. She said the Howe Cup, combined with the pressure of midterms, exhausted the Bulldog squad in their last week before vacation.

“I definitely think we all didn’t play to our full potential,” she said. “By no means am I making any excuses, but it was just a hard time of the year. We did everything we could as a team this season, and I think we succeeded.”