Both the men’s and women’s squash teams are seeded seventh and will play Hamilton College in the opening rounds of their respective NESCAC tournaments tonight, both of which will be played at Amherst.
The men’s team enters the Championship with a 3-10 record after losing its last three matches. However, the team played fairly well in January—including an 8-1 win over Hamilton. After starting the season with five straight losses—four of which were 9-0 shutouts—the men’s team picked up its play and won three of its next four matches.
The midseason progress can in part be attributed to the team staying healthy.
“Improved roster health has been a huge factor for the team’s success,” said Head Coach Tomas Fortson. “Our goal [for the championship is] to compete well while applying some of the improvements each player is working on. Hopefully we’ll win all of our competitive matches.”
The women’s team fared slightly better the men’s this season, finishing 4-8 on the year. The team won three matches in a row, including one over its NESCAC tournament opponent Hamilton, before getting outplayed last weekend by Brown University and the University of Virginia—two teams with much larger programs.
Having an injury-free team is especially important for the women as there are only 11 athletes on the roster, compared to the men’s 13. Nine players must compete in a match.
The women’s team plays at 4:30 p.m. today while the men’s team will kick off its tournament run at 6:30 p.m.