The Hamilton College women’s squash team opened play at the National Team Championships with a 7-2 win over the University of Virginia on Friday morning in the first round of the Walker Cup (C Division) bracket.
The Continentals, the second seed in the eight-team Walker Cup bracket, will face third-seeded Bowdoin College in Saturday’s semifinal at Harvard University at 1:30 p.m.
Hamilton improved to 14-7 on the season, matching the program’s third-highest season victory total. Only the 2009-10 (15-8) and 1992-93 (18-4) teams won more matches.
Rafiatou Ouro-Aguy ’18 was a winner in three games at the sixth position, giving her a team-leading 16 victories. She’s won eight of her last 10 outings. Haley Connor ’18 swept her opponent at the seventh position to improve to 15-6 and Rachel Newman ’16 (second position) and Elizabeth Morris ’15 (third) picked up their 14th wins of the year.
Lindsay Arader ’16 won in three games at the fifth position and Marina Hartnick ’18 posted a sweep at the ninth position; both have 11 wins on the season. Grace Munschauer ’18 rounded out Hamilton’s winners, posting a three-game victory at the eighth position to raise her record to 9-4.
Saturday’s match will be the second meeting in a week between the Continentals and Polar Bears; Hamilton topped Bowdoin 6-3 in last weekend’s NESCAC Championship. The winner will advance to Sunday’s title match to face either top-seeded Amherst College or fifth-seeded Colby College and the loser will play in Sunday morning’s third-place match.
02/13/2015 at Cambridge, Mass.
(Harvard)
#18 Hamilton 7, #23 Virginia 2
1. Carey Danforth (UVA) def. Hilary Gray (HAM) 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4
2. Rachel Newman (HAM) def. Celia Dyer (UVA) 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6
3. Elizabeth Morris (HAM) def. Lindsay Bralower (UVA) 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9
4. Isabel Stack (UVA) def. Isabelle Weisman (HAM) 11-5, 13-11, 11-9
5. Lindsay Arader (HAM) def. Amanda Whelan (UVA) 11-6, 11-9, 11-8
6. Rafiatou Ouro-Aguy (HAM) def. Carolyn Grenier (UVA) 11-9, 11-4, 11-5
7. Haley Connor (HAM) def. Sarah Walker (UVA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-5
8. Grace Munschauer (HAM) def. Charlotte Searle (UVA) 11-5, 11-9, 11-9
9. Marina Hartnick (HAM) def. Kate McDonough (UVA) 12-10, 12-10, 11-5
Match Notes:
Hamilton 14-7; National ranking #18
