PHILADELPHIA - The 28th-ranked Haverford College women's squash team (0-5) faced tough competition to conclude the Pennsylvania State Championships at the Penn Squash Center in University City on Sunday. The Fords fell to No. 24 Franklin & Marshall in the morning match and No. 21 Dickinson in the afternoon matchup, each by a final score of 7-2.
No. 24 Franklin & Marshall 7, No. 28 Haverford 2
Against a stalwart Diplomats side, Haverford opened the day with a victory at the eighth flight as sophomore Matilda Chartener delivered a commanding performance, defeating Lavanya Mio Seshasayee 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 for her first win of the season.
The Diplomats quickly evened the match at 1-1 in the fourth flight, where Ashanti Amastal topped Zoe Liu 11-4, 11-3, 11-2. F&M took the lead in the second flight as Zarine Gidwaney defeated Joelle Phuah 11-6, 11-5, 11-4.
Haverford rookie Laine Reshefsky claimed the team's second victory, dispatching Destiny Ponce 11-4, 11-9, 11-6 to level the match at 2-2. However, Franklin & Marshall regained control with wins in the fifth and sixth flights. Tatum Long defeated Julia Carrasco 11-3, 11-2, 11-8, while Rory Dasher secured a 11-5, 11-4, 11-1 victory over Caroline Gay.
At the top flight, Gurlin Kaur overcame Haverford co-captain Ariana Solecki 11-6, 11-1, 11-1. In the third flight, co-captain Catherine Fortin fell to Mia Todd 11-7, 11-7, 11-5. The Diplomats sealed their win as Joey Ho edged Ofri Geva 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, completing a 7-2 result.
No. 21 Dickinson 7, No. 28 Haverford 2
Haverford put up a strong fight against the No. 21 Red Devils, with standout performances from its co-captains. In the third flight, Catherine Fortin forced Gabri-El Masry into a nail-biting second game, narrowly losing 12-10 before falling 11-6, 11-8 in the subsequent games. At the top flight, Ariana Solecki pushed Anne Leakey to the brink in the first game but ultimately fell 12-10, 11-2, 11-3.
Haverford earned its wins by default, with Dickinson only having seven available players for the matchups at Penn Squash Center.
Haverford now heads into another action-packed weekend to continue a busy 2024-25 slate. The Fords will face No. 26 Connecticut College (1 p.m.) and Liberty League host No. 30 Vassar (3 p.m.) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on Saturday, November 23.
