There were positives in the women's squash team's weekend results. You just have to squint to see them.
The Jumbos competed in the Maine Invitational, held at Bowdoin College on Saturday, dropping their matches 9-0 to George Washington and 8-1 to Bowdoin after losing 9-0 to Bates on Friday in Lewiston, Maine.
"It was a tough weekend," assistant coach Kelsey Engman said. "We played three matches against three really good teams. I do think that we learned how to elevate our level of play and that the scores weren't always indicative of how close the matches were."
The Jumbos, ranked No. 18 in the nation, entered their match against No. 16 George Washington with the expectation of a close contest. But despite a couple of tight individual matches, the Colonials were able to dominate the final tally. The loss effectively relegated Tufts to the C Division at Nationals.
"The loss to GW was hard because we went in expecting a close match," senior tri-captain Jessica Herrmann said. "They were much stronger than we expected. It was tough because it was our fourth match in three days, which is incredibly exhausting. It's exhausting mentally as well as physically. But everyone tried hard and I'm really proud of my team.
"We're disappointed about not being in the B Division," Herrmann continued. "But I'm optimistic about our chances of winning the C Division. Coming into the season, our goals were either to make the B Division or strive to win the C Division."
The highlight of the matchup with George Washington was sophomore Valerie Koo's valiant effort at the No. 3 spot on the ladder. After dropping the first two sets, Koo fought back to force a fifth set, which she lost by the score of 9-7 to freshman Lauren Mathieu. Senior tri-captain Victoria Barba, first-year Mercedes Barba and Herrmann also played competitive four-set matches against the Colonials.
"Valerie played an amazing match against GW," Engman said. "She was down two to nothing and played outstanding to come back. She was very receptive to our advice and put it into action. She would have won if not for some unlucky points at the end."
Earlier in the day, Tufts faced No. 12 Bowdoin in its second match of the round robin. Despite the lopsided overall score, the Jumbos did have one bright spot as senior tri-captain Simone Grant came away with the squad's lone individual victory of the weekend, defeating her opponent in straight sets at the No. 7 spot on the ladder.
"Simone's a senior captain and she's just great," Engman said. "We all work on trying to have a positive attitude, and she exemplifies that. She knew she could win her match, and I think her play was a valuable lesson for our team."
On Friday, Tufts faced No. 14 Bates, a team to which it had lost 9-0 at the NESCAC Tournament the previous weekend.
"Playing Bates was difficult because, having lost to them the weekend before, we kind of knew roughly what the outcomes were going to be," Herrmann said. "We were also playing on their home court and it was Senior Night for their women's team, so they had quite a number of fans. They even had a mascot."
Next up for Tufts will be a match against Brown, the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, on Tuesday. While the Jumbos will look to make the match competitive, their main focus will be working on aspects of their game that need sharpening in anticipation of the next weekend's Howe Cup.
"We all realize we have specific things we can work on," Herrmann said. "Whether it's hitting the ball deep, attacking or getting back to the T, we'll all be looking to work on our skills. We know that however tough the match against Brown is, come this weekend, we know we'll be playing at the same level but against less strong teams."
More specifically, the players will be looking to improve their drop shots, a skill Engman believes will be vital to their success at Nationals.
"We want to hone in on our drop shots," she said. "Most of the last semester we have been emphasizing hitting the ball deep. Once you have established length [on your shots], it opens up an opportunity to move forward and attack with drop shots."
playing on their home court and it was Senior Night for their women's team, so they had quite a number of fans. They even had a mascot." Next up for Tufts will be a match against Brown, the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, on Tuesday. While the Jumbos will look to make the match competitive, their main focus will be working on aspects of their game that need sharpening in anticipation of the next weekend's Howe Cup. "We all realize we have specific things we can work on," Herrmann said. "Whether it's hitting the ball deep, attacking or getting back to the T, we'll all be looking to work on our skills. We know that however tough the match against Brown is, come this weekend, we know we'll be playing at the same level but against less strong teams." More specifically, the players will be looking to improve their drop shots, a skill Engman believes will be vital to their success at Nationals. "We want to hone in on our drop shots," she said. "Most of the last semester we have been emphasizing hitting the ball deep. Once you have established length [on your shots], it opens up an opportunity to move forward and attack with drop shots."
playing on their home court and it was Senior Night for their women's team, so they had quite a number of fans. They even had a mascot." Next up for Tufts will be a match against Brown, the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, on Tuesday. While the Jumbos will look to make the match competitive, their main focus will be working on aspects of their game that need sharpening in anticipation of the next weekend's Howe Cup. "We all realize we have specific things we can work on," Herrmann said. "Whether it's hitting the ball deep, attacking or getting back to the T, we'll all be looking to work on our skills. We know that however tough the match against Brown is, come this weekend, we know we'll be playing at the same level but against less strong teams." More specifically, the players will be looking to improve their drop shots, a skill Engman believes will be vital to their success at Nationals. "We want to hone in on our drop shots," she said. "Most of the last semester we have been emphasizing hitting the ball deep. Once you have established length [on your shots], it opens up an opportunity to move forward and attack with drop shots."
