After shutting out Connecticut College 9-0 in its opening round matchup at the NESCAC tournament last Friday, the women's squash team went 1-2 over the rest of the weekend.
The Polar Bears' championship hopes evaporated when they lost 8-1 to Bates in the quarterfinals. Christiana Whitcomb '14 scored the team's sole point.
Later that day, the Polar Bears beat Amherst 6-3 in a consolation match. Monica Wlodarczyk '13, Michaela Martin '14, and first years Torey Lee, Rachel Barnes, Alden Drake, and Sara Wlodarczyk each came out with a win.
Although the weekend ultimately ended in a 3-6 loss to Hamilton, the team was still pleased with its performance.
"There were a bunch of competitive matches, especially with Amherst," said captain Bonnie Cao '13. "Last year they beat us, but this year we really wanted to try and beat them, and we did."
Cao added that the athletes worked on making their opponents exert themselves by "running from corner to corner to reach the ball."
"Our coach is very good at teaching us the technical aspects, and he's also very good at pushing us," Cao said. "One of his big things is going for every ball and never giving up on a shot. Even if you think you don't have a chance, just go for it and take a swing."
The Polar Bears still have three weeks left in their season, with matches against Colby and Bates this weekend and both team and individual nationals to look forward to.
Until then, the players will be working on improving their physical game and their mental game.
"Some of the girls still get a little nervous for big matches, so we can work on gaining confidence and getting the best of our nerves," said Cao.
-Compiled by Christine Parsons.