Harvard Remains Undefeated in Ivies

It was business as usual for the No. 2 Harvard women’s squash team yesterday. The Crimson breezed past No. 5 Dartmouth for an 8-1 win in Hanover, N.H. Harvard (2-0, 2-0 Ivy) has not lost to the Big Green (2-1, 0-1) since formal Ivy League competition began in 1982.

“It was a good, solid match,” said captain and No. 7 Allison Fast. “After training so hard, it was good to see our competition and see how we all can play.”

Fast had one of the closer contests of the day, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat her Big Green opponent 3-2. For the most part, though, the Crimson had an easy time against Dartmouth, winning five of its individual matches by perfect 3-0 scores.

Sophomores Supriya Balsekar and Jen Blumberg, playing at No. 3 and No. 4, both swept their opponents, as did junior No. 5 Audrey Duboc, and sophomore No. 9 Emily Stork.

“We’re all in great shape,” Fast said, “so we were working on technique, and placement of the ball.”

Junior No. 2 Kyla Grigg, the second-ranked intercollegiate player in preseason rankings, won 3-1. The only loss came at No. 8, where junior Sarah Thorndike fell 3-0. Freshman Lily Lorentzen, the only rookie in the top nine playing in just her second match as a member of the Crimson, won her match at No. 1 by a score of 3-2.

“She struggled in the beginning with her strategy,” Duboc said, “but she was able to come back.”

Yesterday’s contest was the second of four matches on the Crimson’s slate before a long dry spell of winter break, finals, and intersession. Harvard faces Cornell at home this Saturday and Williams away on Sunday, and then does not play again until Feb. 4.

—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.