It was not a happy ending for the women's squash team on Tuesday evening.
Hosting its final match of the season at Belmont Hill School Tuesday night, Tufts fell to 10th-ranked Bates, 6-3, dropping to 7-14 for the season.
The match could have easily gone in the Jumbos' favor, as they recorded default victories in the seventh, eighth and ninth positions, due to the Bobcats' undermanned crew. But with two close five-game contests going Bates' way, the Bobcats took all six matches played on the courts.
Still, the team was content with its performance.
"The match against Bates went really well," senior co-captain Liz Thys said. "I went to five games and [freshman Stefanie Marx] went to five games. At the end, I think I was just tired from practice and the weekend but it was really close, which was great."
The most competitive matches came from Marx and Thys, playing in the third and fourth spots, respectively. Marx took the first two games from her opponent, senior Schuyler Haynes, before Haynes rebounded to win the last three, and ultimately the match, 5-9, 3-9, 10-8, 9-7, 9-3.
Playing in her final home game of her squash career, Thys also put up an admirable fight against Bobcat sophomore Sarah Blomstedt, holding a 2-1 lead after the third game. Unfortunately for the Jumbos, Thys could not pull out the win, with Blomstedt taking the decisive final sets, 9-7 and 9-6.
Tufts was also hampered by a depleted squad of its own. Despite battling an illness, sophomore Jessica Herrmann, playing in the number five spot, managed just six points against junior Caroline Lemoine, falling in three games, 9-5, 9-1, 9-0.
Additionally, junior Micela Leis, who has been fighting an injury the entire season, fell to sophomore Margot Webel, 9-1, 9-4, 9-1.
Playing in the number one spot for the first time since the NESCAC Tournament, sophomore Victoria Barba squared-off against Bates senior Kelsey Engman and was defeated in three games, 9-0, 9-0, 9-2.
The team's regular number one throughout the season, senior co-captain Julia Avrutin played in the second position, but was also edged out by a 10-8, 9-4, 9-6 match with junior Charlotte Gerrish.
"Jules played really well even though she went to three," Thys said. "Bates is a really strong team, and we had a good chance to beat them."
For Thys, Avrutin, and senior Morgan Glasebrook, the loss was a disappointing end to their home careers. But the Jumbos must hold their heads high as they prepare for the Howe Cup, the team national tournament held at Yale this weekend. Last season, playing in the C Division of teams ranked 17-24, Tufts fell to Hamilton 5-4 in the finals of its bracket. The Jumbos believe the odds are in their favor to get over the hump this time around.
"We have a really good chance at winning this weekend," Thys said. "We have beaten all the other teams in our division at least once this season so we have a really good shot at winning the C division, which is our goal for the weekend."
With three days between Tuesday's match and the start of the Howe Cup on Friday, the squad will use the time to rest and nurse any wounds.
"The most important thing before the Howe Cup now is to rest up," Thys said. "We are playing very hard and we have a lot of girls winning going into the tournament."
Their first opponent on Friday will be Vassar, which is ranked directly behind Tufts, at No. 21 in the nation. Although they're not underestimating Vassar, the Jumbos are confident they can play three matches and get to the finals in the tournament. After a difficult season, in which it was forced to play shot-handed, the team is excited to finally have a full lineup for the culmination of the season.
As for now, the crew is taking these final days in stride, both mentally and physically, as it prepares for the biggest tournament of the season.
"We're focusing on length and being consistent with length," Barba said. "We're also focusing on ending the point so we're not worn out this weekend."
Lauren Ebstein contributed reporting to this article.
WOMEN'S SQUASH
(7-14)
at Belmont, Tuesday
Bates 6
Tufts 3
1) Engman (B) def. Barba (T)
2) Gerrish (B) def. Avrutin (T)
3) Haynes (B) def. Marx (T)
4) Blomstedt (B) def. Thys (T)
5) Lemoine (B) def. Herrmann (T)
6) Webel (B) def. Leis (T)
7) Tufts def. Bates by default
8) Tufts def. Bates by default
9) Tufts def. Bates by default
