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| Ann Bellinger won in the fourth position for the Jumbos on Sunday |
CAMBRIDGE – The Tufts women's squash team finished off a stellar weekend on Sunday, winning the finals of the College Squash Association's (CSA) Team Championships Epps Cup. The Jumbos defeated William Smith, 7-2 on Sunday evening. The Herons were ranked just above in the Jumbos in the most recent CSA rankings.
The tournament wraps up the Jumbos team portion of their schedule this year as the only thing remaining is the CSA's individual championships, which only selected participants will play in. The women end their season on a three-match winning streak and with a 9-13 overall record.
The Jumbos opened play in the D division, Epps Cup, with a 7-2 win over Haverford. They then topped Connecticut College, 8-1, for the third win over the Camels this month. Against the Herons on Sunday, the Jumbos won in the first through seventh positions. The win avenged a 6-3 loss to Herons earlier this season.
Junior tri-captain Paget Stanco played in the first position for the Jumbos and had little trouble with her Heron counterpart, winning in three games (11-6, 11-4, 11-7). Senior tri-captain Paige Dahlman also had little trouble in the second spot, winning in three games over Allison Rubin (11-4, 11-5, 11-3).
In the third position, first-year Claudia Udolf had to work a little harder, winning in four games over Michaelann Denton, with two of those going to extra points (10-12, 14-12, 11-5, 11-7). Senior tri-captain Ann Bellinger also played a close four game match in the fourth position, topping Andrea Tran 7-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.
Rookie Lauren Banner needed four games but turned in a win over Delaney Teceno in the fifth position, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9. Sophomore Anna Bezahler's match in the sixth position was very similar, as she topped Eleanor Hayes in four games, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9. The last Jumbo win came in the seventh position from sophomore Lynn Cheng. The Jumbo needed five games, including the fifth in extra points, to edge Anna Worcester, 9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10.
Jumbo rookie Gabi Salomon took the courts in the eighth position, but lost a tough five game match to Justine Shank, 11-8, 7-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-3. In the ninth position, classmate Nellie Harvey fell to Molly Doran in three games, 11-6, 11-5, 11-3.
With the win the Jumbos should move up to #25 in the final rankings of the season. They are currently ranked #26 with the Herons at 25th.
