Harvard Keeps Rolling With Easy Sweep

The No. 2 Harvard women’s squash team (3-0) stayed undefeated in convincing fashion last night, routing ninth-ranked Dartmouth, 9-0.

The Crimson handed the Big Green (1-1) its first loss of the season and won a crucial in-conference match. In doing so, Harvard dropped only one game, going 27-1 in nine matches. This stellar performance resembled the Crimson’s past two victories, 27-1 against Brown and 27-0 against Williams.

The scores of each individual game were not available when The Crimson went to press.

Harvard has not won the Howe Cup, the A-division women’s squash championship, since 2001 and has lost in the finals to Princeton for the past two years. Returning all of last year’s starters and with notable freshman additions—such as Laura Gemmell, playing in the No. 1 spot—the Crimson appears set to make a real run at reclaiming the Howe Cup.

Last night’s win against Dartmouth came in overtly hostile territory, with Harvard playing in the packed and pressurized conditions of Berry Sports Center.

“The atmosphere was pretty crazy,” said co-captain Katherine O’Donnell, who reckoned that around 200 rowdy fans were in attendance at the match. “We were being very patient and very focused...we did a good job of bearing down—especially the freshmen.”

No. 6 O’Donnell won her match, 3-0.

“I definitely used a slower pace; I wasn’t trying to overpower the ball because the courts here were really hot,” she said. “I tried more to place the ball.”

In general, O’Donnell said, the team has been having consistently strong chemistry.

“Our team dynamic is awesome and I think everyone is working really hard to keep it up,” she added.

Coach Satinder Bajwa seemed to concur with O’ Donnell’s assessment of Harvard’s mindset.

“They’re all treating their matches as if they could lose, they’re respecting every opponent, and there’s no complacency,” he said.

Some of last night’s success can be attributed to a changed workout routine.

“We have reworked our strength and conditioning program,” explained co-captain Johanna Snyder. “We do a lot more agility work...the staff has developed a program that’s great for squash.”

The victory came without the aid of sophomore Emily Park, last year’s No. 4 player. Park has been struggling with a strained back this season.

“She’s always at practice and is a huge part of the team,” O’Donnell said. “Hopefully she’ll be back any minute."