The Bowdoin Orient

December 8, 2000
Volume CXXXII, Number 12

W. Squash takes down South Africa

by ANNE STEVENSON, STAFF WRITER

   It is not every day that Bowdoin gets to play against another country. Last Thursday, however, the Bowdoin Squash Team had the privilege to play against the University of Cape Town South Africa.
   The University of Cape Town team decided to add Bowdoin at the last minute to its roster of opponents on its North American tour. The Bowdoin women had no idea what to expect about the South Africans' skill level or what kind of a challenge they faced.
   It ended up being a very close match, but the Polar Bears managed to pull out on top. The women ultimately beat South Africa 3-2, which came down to a tiebreaker in Liz Steffey's match. Dana Betts, Liz Steffey, Merrill Muckerman, Lindy Stanley, and Laura Inkeles were the only Bowdoin women to play, because the University of Cape Town only brought five women.
   Sophomore Merrill Muckerman brought in the first win by beating her opponent in four games. Although Merrill started off a little slow and lost the first game, she ended up getting a lot more aggressive and played some beautiful squash. The next three games were close, but Merrill managed stay on top of her opponent and dominated the court.
   Senior co-captain Liz Steffey gave Bowdoin another win after a nail-biter match. After losing the first two games, Liz started to focus in the third and began playing the squash she is capable of. Liz came back to win the next two games, which meant that they were going the long haul to five games.
   Both women were tired and the intensity was up in the fifth game. After a lot of great squash and passion, the women were tied 8-8 and went into a tiebreaker. At this point, the crowd was on the edge of their seats, going crazy with every point won or lost. Superwoman Liz did not lose her head and pulled out the victory.
   The other senior co-captain, Dana Betts, conferred Bowdoin its other win to take the match. Dana played smart, aggressive squash and was quick on her feet, which allowed her to control the game, winning 3-0.
   Dana commented, "She was a good player. I had to work really hard to beat her. I am just particularly impressed that this team traveled all the way across the world to play. They are even living in Winnebago's while they tour the Northeast! The whole South African team was really friendly and funny…. and they know how to party."
   Liz Steffey also said of the match, "It was a really fun experience to play the South Africans. It was an exciting change from our normal matches that count; this was much more casual and fun loving...The match was just as much about the playing as it was about the curiosity surrounding the other team's culture."
   After the match, the men's and women's teams showed the South Africans how to party American-style to round out the visitors' experiences in the United States. Hopefully, the Bowdoin squad will make it down to South Africa sometime to receive the same favor.
   The men's and women's teams play tonight away at Tufts.