Harvard Rolls Over Inaugural Foes

The second-ranked Harvard women’s squash team (2-0, 1-0 Ivy) hardly seemed to break a sweat this weekend in tallying their first two victories of the season. The national powerhouse Crimson crushed Ivy League foe No. 10 Brown (0-1, 0-1 Ivy) on Friday before breezing past out-of-conference opponent No. 8 Williams (0-2) on Sunday. The weekend’s victories boosted Harvard to a 2-0 record, a start that surprises none given the team’s stacked lineup and a national championship appearance last year.

Harvard coach Satinder Bajwa cited “depth and well-being”—both physically and mentally—as the two essential qualities for the team to have success this upcoming season.

The Crimson will need to be at its prime in both areas to challenge the team that deprived them of a collegiate championship last year, the Princeton Tigers, when they come to Cambridge on February 7. But according to Bajwa, the Tigers—who lost to Stanford yesterday—might not be at the level they played last year.

“Other than Trinity, I think we’re on the right track to be among the favorites to do very well this year” Bajwa said. “This is the deepest team I have coached in my eleven years at Harvard.”

Stirring words from a coach who boasts an 81-28 record, 33 All-Americans, a national championship appearance in 2008-2009, and a national championship victory in 2001 in his 10 years of coaching Harvard.

HARVARD 9, WILLIAMS 0

The Crimson continued their dominant streak in a 9-0 blanking of No. 8 Williams on Sunday. Freshman Laura Gemmell, after not playing against Brown, returned to her No. 1 spot, where she challenged Ephs’ senior Toby Eyre. Eyre was ranked third in the nation in the individual preseason polls entering this match, but Gemmell took no heed of her opponent’s qualifications, downing Eyre in three straight games 11-6, 11-7, and 11-8.

Although she considered Sunday’s match “to be a tougher match than Friday’s” against Brown, sophomore phenom Nirasha Guruge was in fine form as well, handling Jennifer Coxe in three straight games. Junior June Tiong, who played No. 1 for Harvard last season, dominated her set against Williams’ Courtney Bogle 11-3, 11-3, 11-4.

In spite of the excellent play at the top of the ladder, Bajwa said he was most impressed by the performance of sophomore Emily Park at the 9 spot. Park, who played No. 3 last year as a freshman, battled injury throughout the preseason. Not only did she play a full set today, but she also tallied another win for Harvard in a triumphant fashion—11-4, 11-1, 11-1.

“Emily surprised me in a good way in that she’s almost totally recovered,” Bajwa said.

HARVARD 9, BROWN 0

The Crimson spoiled Brown’s Friday by capturing 27 of 28 games in a resounding victory over their Ivy League opponent.

Harvard wasted no time in asserting their dominance, jumping out to a 3-0 start as junior Alisha Mashruwala won three straight 11-5 contests against Sarah Crosky at the No. 2 spot. Co-Captain Katherine O’Donnell, playing at the No. 4 position, seized a commanding win over the Bears’ Kali Schellenberg, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5.

Playing at the top spot of the roster, Guruge tallied relatively close wins of 11-6 and 11-5, before gaining momentum to down Brown’s Laura Pynes 11-0 in the third game. When asked if this weekend’s play was indicative of Harvard’s prospects for this season, Guruge seemed confident yet wary.

“Brown and Williams weren’t that hard, but there will be more pressure against stronger opponents” Guruge said. “Now that we have such a good player at No. 1, the top of the ladder should be very solid.”

Even in the absence of Gemmell, the freshmen worked magic in their first intercollegiate performances.

Freshman Natasha Kingshott conquered the Bears’ Sophie Scherl in straight games. Fellow freshman Sarah Mumanachit recorded the one loss of the entire weekend in her first game against Lydia Smith, 9-11, but took the next three games, 11-7, 11-5 and 11-5 to win the set.

“I’m very happy with the five freshmen who have joined our team,” Bajwa said. “They have made our team much stronger.”

Co-Captain Johanna Snyder won her three games easily, while senior Sandra Mumanachit won at the No. 9 spot by defeating Leila Driansky, 11-3, 11-6 and 11-5.

The Crimson hope to keep their winning streak alive when they travel to Hanover, NH on Dec. 2 to take on 1-0 Dartmouth.