After Tuesday’s tough loss against Trinity, the Bulldogs showed their spirit, strength and determination on Saturday, getting right back into the habit of completely crushing their opponents.
Bouncing back from their loss to the Bantams this past week, the women’s squash team dominated the Yale Round Robin, winning all three matches with a commanding 9-0 score. The team defeated Haverford, Northeastern and Bates at the Brady Squash Center in an impressive performance.
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“We knew that it was going to be a slightly easier weekend than the past weekend,” Sarah Barenbaum ’08 said. “It always feels good to win and it was a good accomplishment. It was especially great after losing last week to have such a great showing this weekend.”
Wrapping up the Round Robin with precision, the Elis won all but one game 3-0 in the three matches they played.
“We looked at yesterday as an opportunity to work on our shots and to move around on the court,” Elisabeth Hill ’08 said. “Expected or not, any win feels good and we were glad to come away with a victory yesterday.”
Several players said team members were looking to work on their individual games in the match.
“We were excited to play and just get a chance to work on specific goals and shots,” Barenbaum said. “Everybody was focusing on their own personal strategies and game, rallying longer and individual tactics.”
Team members said the match was a good opportunity to play the teams and experiment with the lineup. Barenbaum, who usually plays at the No. 5 or 6 spot, occupied the No. 4 position this weekend.
“It was a great weekend because we played three matches,” Barenbaum said. “Everyone played two matches each and this gave everyone a chance to play. Those who don’t play got to play and those who play in the lineup got to play higher up. It was a great experience.”
The Bulldogs played against Bates in Brunswick, Maine, earlier in the season on Jan. 6, and came away with a 8-1 victory. This Saturday’s overpowering 9-0 win helped the Bulldogs improve upon last time’s record.
Since this was the Elis’ first encounter against both Haverford and Northeastern, several players said they were excited to play the teams.
“It was a great opportunity to really work on our own games and practice,” Jessica Balderston ’09 said. “It was good to just get on court and stay sharp.”
The Bulldogs return to Ivy action this coming Saturday, when they face Princeton at home.
“Despite the hard loss we had last week, we’re just trying to look towards the future and towards [Princeton],” Balderston said. “We have gone through what would seem like season-changing losses, but we have a lot of confidence and really want to prepare for next week.”
The Tigers have had an undefeated season so far, but face both Trinity and Penn this week before traveling to New Haven.
“I think we’re going to work really hard this week in preparation for [Princeton],” Hill said. “We have the expectation of just playing the best squash that we can play and hopefully that will mean a victory. The top of the women’s squash is very close right now — it’ll be really exciting and interesting to see Princeton’s results during this week before facing them.”