Princeton University
Columbia
No. 2 Women's Squash Knocks Off No. 6 Columbia, 8-1
February 09, 2020 | Women's Squash
There was a mix of sweeps – Princeton won all four matches that ended in three games – and those that went the distance – four Tiger wins needed five games – as Princeton improved to 11-1 overall and 6-1 in the Ivy League.
Senior Morgan Steelman on the match:
"My match today had a slow start. I was really having a hard time getting my length on the Columbia courts. But after making some adjustments, I was able to win after being down 2-0 in games. We won four five-game matches today. I'm really proud of how none of us gave up and how we were able to fight until the very last point."
Head coach Gail Ramsay on the match:
"The 8-1 score did not really show the struggle we had today against Columbia. We had to find away to win four five-game matches against a determined Columbia team. It was difficult to adjust to the courts and figure out how to play effectively on them. Caroline (Spahr) played a great match at number four. She was really accurate today and moved around the court really well. Her opponent could not find a way to shift the control away from her. It was one of Caroline's best performances as a Tiger."
Sophomore Emily Rose on the match:
"I'm so proud of the way our team performed this weekend. Adjusting to the courts in New York today was definitely a challenge, but we were able to cope well. The fact that we were able to win all four of the five-game matches that occurred is tremendous and speaks to the emphasis we have put on our mental prep this year. It was awesome having a ton of alums at the match; it really shows you their commitment to the Princeton squash family. I had a tough match today and was able to pull it out in five. It took a lot of patience and resilience to come back from being down 1-2 in games, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say that my motivation in those moments comes from a desire to win for my teammates. Today's win provides us with awesome momentum going into a big match next weekend against Trinity. I think we are in a really great place as a team and I'm really looking forward to preparing for the week to come."
Junior Emme Leonard on the match:
"Today was a great battle against Columbia. We all had to show up and fight hard. I played Nicole Kendall today who I have played multiple times in the past. She is a great player who is a fighter on court, so I knew I had to be ready to play long rallies. I lost the first game after hitting shallow length, but once I adjusted my game plan and played more aggressive squash I got more in my mojo. I am thrilled to bring this great energy into Trinity's match next Saturday."
No. 1 Habiba Mohammed (Columbia) def. Elle Ruggiero (Princeton), 3-1 (5-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6)
No. 2 Raneem El Torky (Princeton) def. Erica McGillicuddy (Columbia), 3-2 (11-5, 11-8, 13-11)
No. 3 Emme Leonard (Princeton) def. Nicole Kendall (Columbia), 3-2 (8-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10)
No. 4 Caroline Spahr (Princeton) def. Jui Kalgutkar (Columbia), 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-7)
No. 5 Andrea Toth (Princeton) def. Ellie McVeigh (Columbia), 3-0 (12-10, 11-4, 11-6)
No. 6 M. Grace Doyle (Princeton) def. Bunny Fox (Columbia) 3-0 (11-3, 12-10, 11-5)
No. 7 Morgan Steelman (Princeton) def. Cynthia Cao (Columbia), 3-2 (8-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7)
No. 8 Emily Rose (Princeton) def Jane Pincus (Columbia), 3-2 (9-11, 11-1, 12-14, 11-4, 11-8)
No. 9 India Stephenson (Princeton) def. Doria Chen (Columbia), 3-2 (11-7, 6-11, 11-1, 7-11, 11-5)
10th Match: Madison Soukup (Princeton) def. Elizabeth Lentz (Columbia), 3-1 (11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 7-11)
The Tigers host No. 3 Trinity on February 15 at 12 p.m. to conclude the regular season.
Players Mentioned
