The women's squash team (2-6), now back to full force after a rash of early-season injuries and player absences, defeated the Northeastern Huskies 7-2 on Tuesday night for its second-straight win. The victory provides the Jumbos with some much-needed momentum heading into this weekend's NESCAC Tournament.
The match against the Huskies came hot on the heels of the team's first victory of the season, a 7-2 win over Conn. College on Saturday. After starting the season with a depleted lineup and a demanding schedule, the Jumbos are rounding into form in time to salvage their season. For Tufts, the No. 18-ranked squad in the country, the victories over the No. 25-ranked Camels and the No. 22-ranked Huskies represent a more accurate depiction of the team's abilities.
"Our schedule is a bit easier now," coach Doug Eng said. "These are the teams -- Northeastern and Conn. College -- that provide more of a test and a true barometer for us. The girls are working hard and everyone is healthy, which makes a big difference."
"Having a tough schedule is hard on team morale, but I think now we're very ready to come out and show our strength," senior tri-captain Jessica Herrmann added.
The back-to-back victories should allow the team to accrue a measure of confidence that was lacking during its early-season travails.
"I think the matches against Northeastern and Conn. College should help the team build some confidence," Eng said. "Mentally, [a tough schedule] doesn't do a whole lot for you. Adversity can help if you take it the right way. You have to want to face the top teams. I think the girls have maybe learned to be more patient as a result. But ultimately, you can get tougher, but not more confident."
Against Northeastern, the team was buoyed by strong performances from a pair of freshmen in Mercedes Barba and Alix Michael. Michael, playing No. 6 on the ladder, went the distance to five sets, the last of which was decided 9-7.
"Alix Michael's match was a great win," senior tri-captain Victoria Barba said. "It was really close the whole way, and winning [9-7] in the fifth, she stayed mentally tough."
Mercedes Barba, who missed the early part of the season with an injury, has equally impressed with her play on the court. Against the Huskies, she was able to come back after losing the first set of the match.
"Mercedes' shots are amazing," Victoria Barba said. "She's a really strong player. She plays a slightly different style from some of us in that she attacks a lot more and uses her power. Once she starts adding more strategy to her game, she definitely has the talent to play No. 1."
But while the team is generally encouraged by its performance over the last two matches, they acknowledge there is still considerable room for improvement.
"We haven't had any easy matches this year," Victoria Barba said. "Northeastern is a team that we usually take down 9-0, but this year, [senior tri-captain Simone Grant] and I both lost, so that was disappointing. We also lost a couple of games, so it was harder than we thought it would be."
Next up for Tufts is the NESCAC Tournament, which will be hosted by Trinity and Wesleyan this weekend. The Jumbos, seeded No. 8, will start against No. 9 Colby, a team they lost to 6-3 last year.
"Our goal right now is simple enough: Beat Colby," Herrmann said. "That will decide our fate for the rest of the weekend. Right now, it sounds as though it will be a really close match."
"We have to come out guns blazing and ready to go," Victoria Barba added. "It's hard to judge or know what to expect from them because they aren't as familiar to us as a team like Conn. College or Hamilton."
Examining the bigger picture, Tufts hopes to improve its national ranking with a strong performance in the conference tournament.
"Right now, we're ranked 18th nationally, which puts us high up in the C division for Nationals," Victoria Barba said. "Hopefully, we can improve on that a bit and put ourselves in a position to move into the B division."
"This is really our first chance to size up our own competition, meaning the teams that aren't top-10," Herrmann said. "If we play our game and stay strong mentally, then we can set the tone for the next two weeks leading up to Nationals."
