The No. 21 Tufts women's squash team started off its 2011-12 season this weekend, beating No. 26 Wellesley and No. 25 Smith before falling to No. 13 Mount Holyoke.
The Jumbos went 1-1 on Saturday with a 6-3 victory over the Pioneers and a 9-0 loss to the host Lyons. Against Mount Holyoke, senior co-captain Alyse Vinoski had a tough four-set loss in the No. 5 spot against junior Kathryn Brummer, winning the first game 11-8 before losing the next three. The other eight Tufts players each fell in three games, sealing the Jumbos' second shutout against Mount Holyoke in as many seasons.
"We knew going in that they were a stronger team, but I don't think that that made anybody play less hard than they normally would," freshman Ann Bellinger said. "We definitely saw our weaknesses. I know I need to hit deeper."
Powerful hits are a significant part of the Lyons' success.
"It was kind of surprising to a lot of people how hard they hit the ball," junior Jessica Rubine said. "They also moved around the court really well. We had to use the first game to get used to how hard they hit."
Playing higher-seeded teams will likely help the Jumbos in the long run.
"It was a great experience for everyone, especially for the girls who are new to squash," Bellinger said. "They really got a taste for what it's like to have a more consistent play against someone at a higher level, to see what squash is really about."
Earlier in the day, Tufts defeated Smith 6-3. The wins came from up and down the ladder, showing the depth of Tufts' lineup. Tufts took victories in the No. 3-5 spots and in the No. 7-9 spots. Freshman Paige Dahlman and junior Risa Meyers both lost their second games before rallying to take the next two and win their matches. No. 9 junior Madison Newbound had perhaps the most impressive victory of the day, only allowing Smith freshman Vivian Lee to score 14 points.
Two of the losses came from Tufts' No. 1 and 2 players, Rubine and senior co-captain Mercedes Barba.
"Mercedes and I were both disappointed with our play, but it was a new position for both of us," Rubine said. "We did the best we could, and hopefully we'll get the chance to play them again. Other than that, the team played really well."
On Friday, Tufts swept Wellesley 9-0, improving on last year's 6-3 and 5-4 victories over the Blue. The lopsided score does not reflect the competitiveness of the contest.
Only three of the nine matches — played by Rubine, Barba and Newbound — were won in three games. Dahlman and freshman Lilly Tyson were tied 2-2 when Dahlman won the fifth game 12-10 to take the victory in the No. 3 spot. Meyers was down 2-1 before rallying to win the last two sets 14-12, 11-5.
The team believes nerves played a part in how close the scores were.
"Everyone was nervous because it was their first time playing or they were playing in a new position," Rubine said. "It definitely showed that people were nervous, but that's OK, it's to be expected. I think everyone adjusted well."
The Jumbos play again on Dec. 1 against No. 31 Boston College, followed by the two-day Wesleyan Round Robin tournament.
"I think it was great that we went out and started with two wins because it was a boost of confidence for us," Bellinger said. "We'll go into our Boston College match quite strong. Our loss against Mount Holyoke was upsetting, but it will make people train harder. It will be good going into weekends against teams that are at our level of play."
Editor's Note: Men's squash results were not available at press time. See The Score this afternoon for a recap of this weekend's action.
