The men's squash team tacked on two more wins this past weekend at Vassar, moving to 4-2 on the season. The squad put on a clinical display, sinking the No. 42 hosts and No. 52 Bard handily in 9-0, shutout victories.
In the Jumbos' most commanding trip thus far, each player — from senior captain Henry Miller to the "freshman five" — went through the matches with ease. The Jumbos claimed seven of their nine contests against Vassar in three sets, and they won by default in four of their matches against an undermanned Bard team.
In their first game against Vassar, the Jumbos cruised, toppling the Brewers without breaking much of a sweat. Just when they thought it couldn't get any easier, though, Bard came along with only a five-man squad.
Although the six-through-nine spots didn't have to play a single point against Bard, the first five — freshmen Alex Nalle, Zach Schweitzer and Elliot Kardon and sophomores Michael Abboud and Benjamin Briggs — were hardly challenged. All five players won in straight sets, but Briggs was especially dominant, dropping only three points in his entire match.
Coach Doug Eng was thrilled with his team's performance but still saw room for improvement.
"If it was football, the score would [have been] like 42-10 and 56-0 with 600 yards gained per game versus 200 yards given up," Eng said. "[But] let's say we [also] had a couple turnovers and miscues."
Although the trip to Vassar didn't test the Jumbos, it was still valuable, as the victories bolstered the team's intangibles and confidence.
"We didn't have to work that hard to win the matches," Kardon said. "But we had a fun time building some team camaraderie on the ride to New York and back."
With these victories in hand, the Jumbos will traverse the Charles River tomorrow to take on No. 34 MIT, while hoping to match their overpowering 8-1 win last year.
Even without home-court advantage this time around, things are looking up for the Jumbos, as the Engineers have slipped two spots from last year's final rankings.
A solid 5-2 record would bode well for the youthful Jumbos heading into the winter recess, and it appears very much within their grasp.
