Princeton University
Yale
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Players Mentioned
Valiant Bid Falls Short For Women's Squash Against No. 1 Yale
February 04, 2006 | Women's Squash
Feb. 4, 2006
PRINCETON - Marilla Hiltz, Carly Grabowski and Christina Fast all pulled out wins for the Princeton women's squash team, but it wasn't enough against the No. 1 team in women's squash. The defending national champions won the top six matches and left the Jadwin Squash Courts with a 6-3 win.
While the overall team depth kept Princeton in the match, Yale relied on its big guns to grab the overall advantage. Led by the No. 1 player in the country, Michelle Quibell, Yale won 9 of 10 games in the first three matches. There was plenty of drama at No. 2, though, as Princeton's Casey Riley won the opener 9-1 and was even 8-8 in the second game. A win there could have set up a dramatic upset, but Ranieri won the key points to take a 10-8 win, and she rolled from there with consecutive 9-1 wins.
Riley's match was one of several dramatic contests during the first round of matches, which were the even ones. Princeton's No. 4, Lena Neufeld, won her opener 9-6 and was in a tight battle in the third game before eventually falling to Amy Gross in four games.
Princeton and Yale split a pair of 3-1 matches at Nos. 6 and 8. Yale's Kate Rapisarda won 9-4, 3-9, 9-1, 9-0 at No. 6 over Margaret Kent, but Princeton's tough sophomore Carly Grabowski, who didn't lose a dual match at all last season, overcame a tough first game to take the match 2-9, 9-0, 9-0, 9-6. Carly played a great match against a very good player with an unorthodox style of play," head coach Gail Ramsay said. "It was the first time Carly played someone with a two-handed backhand, which took a little getting used to. Carly nicely adjusted her play to limit Nicky's shot selection nad start to control the points a little to late in the first game. But she came back on court focused and on track."
The second session of odd matches put Princeton in a situation of needing four wins in five matches. That hope was lost early, thanks to the play of Quibell and McLeod, but Princeton proved very tough in the other three matches.
No. 7 Marilla Hiltz defeated Sarah Barenbaum handily in three games, and No. 9 Christina Fast topped Jessica Balderston 9-4, 9-3, 9-4. Gen Lessard lost her first two games before pulling out a 9-3 win in the third game. She battled mightily in the fourth game but fell 10-9 to give Yale its sixth win.
Despite the loss, I feel the team played very well overall and look at this match as a positive learning experience," Fast said. "We proved today that we can play right alongside the number one team in the nation and challenge them to bring their best game. I have a lot of confidence and faith in my team and am certain that we will step up our games at Howe Cup."
Princeton will compete at Dartmouth and Harvard next weekend.
Yale 6, Princeton 3
1 - Michelle Quibell (Y) d. Claire Rein-Weston 9-0, 9-1, 9-0
2 - Miranda Ranieri (Y) d. Casey Riley 1-9, 10-8, 9-1, 9-1
3 - Catherine McLeod (Y) d. Ali Pearson 9-1, 9-0, 9-2
4 - Amy Gross (Y) d. Lena Neufeld 6-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-1
5 - Lauren McCrery (Y) d. Gen Lessard 9-5, 9-2, 3-9, 10-9
6 - Kate Rapisarda (Y) d. Margaret Kent 9-4, 3-9, 9-1, 9-0
7 - Marilla Hiltz (P) d. Sarah Barenbaum 9-0, 9-3, 9-1
8 - Carly Grabowski (P) d. Nicola Shiels 2-9, 9-0, 9-0, 9-6
9 - Christina Fast (P) d. Jessica Balderston 9-4, 9-3, 9-4