Youngsters come up big at women’s squash Nationals

This past weekend the Middlebury women’s squash team traveled to Yale to compete in nationals. Ranked 13th in the country, the women were slotted into the B-flight, where they would compete for the Howe Cup.  Like the men’s format, this meant that the 13th-ranked women would be competing against the 9th to 16th ranked teams in the country.  Undaunted by the challenge, the women made it through the weekend 1-2 and finished 14th in the country, just one spot off their school-record 13th-place finish of a year ago.

Before the weekend even began, the Panthers knew they were in for some tough matchups. Tri-captain Virginia Shannon ’11, who fluctuated between playing #1 and #2 for the Panthers this season, left for her spring term abroad after the NESCAC tournament.  This meant that each girl, save #1 Avery Tilney ’10, was asked to play one spot higher on the ladder than usual. It also meant that the team was down one of its best players from the past three seasons.   While this put the Panthers at a disadvantage, it also sped up the maturation process for this young crop of talented first-years.

The first match of the weekend pitted Middlebury against 12th-ranked Mount Holyoke College.  The Panthers got down early and were never able to recover, as the Lyons went on to win 6-3.  The top of the Panthers’ bracket really succumbed to the pressure of losing Shannon.  Numbers 1-5 all lost on Friday, but young standouts Lindsay Becker ’13, Annie Ulrich ’13 and Alexandra Boillot ’12 captured victories at the 6, 7 and 8 spots, respectively.

Middlebury rebounded on the second day against NESCAC-rival and 16th-ranked Colby.  The Panthers, who defeated the Mules 8-1 earlier in the season, again relied on their talented youth to squeak past Colby.

While Middlebury again lost at the top two spots, Kathryn Bostwick ’12 played quite strong filling in for Shannon.  Having had a very solid season playing 3, Bostwick showed she has the potential to fill in for the graduating Tilney near the top of the bracket next season.   Middlebury won each of its matches 3-8 before dropping the 9th match.  Becker, Ulrich and Boillot again pulled out key wins for the Panthers.

The Panthers squared off with their closest competitor of the season to round out the tournament.  Amherst, seeded one rank behind Middlebury coming into nationals, suffered two defeats at the hands of the Panthers earlier in the season: 7-2 during the Panthers’ great 12-win streak to open the season, and then again (6-3) in the NESCAC tournament.

Using the momentum from a big win over Hamilton, Amherst was able to topple the undermanned Panther squad 6-3.  The ever-impressive trio of Becker, Ulrich and Boillot again earned Middlebury’s team three wins.  Those three ladies went a combined 9-0, while the rest of the Panther squad managed a disappointing 3-15.

With the team season drawing to a close, only individual nationals this coming weekend remain.  The Panthers have to be pleased with their 20-9 record, even if they may feel they left a couple of wins on the court.  Their 14th-ranked finish, while not above last year, shows just how far the program has come under Head Coach John Illig.

The team can also feel great about next year. While it is losing tri-captains #1 Avery Tilney and #9 Ashley Panichelli, they are adding transfer Elena Laird ’12, who was Bowdoin’s #1 a season ago.

Couple Laird’s experience and skill at the top of the ladder with the development of the outstanding young talent in the first-year and sophomore classes, and the 2010-11 Panther team could be a team to beat.