The women’s squash team headed into Little Threes this weekend knowing it would be a weekend defined by emotions at both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand, the three Amherst seniors—Libby Martin, Di Kirkwood and Moriah Donelan­—were honored for their contributions to the team prior to play with bouquets of flowers; certainly, the celebration of their Amherst careers added to the Jeffs’ sense of optimism.

But the final home tournament of the year is always difficult, especially when the seniors make up such an important part of the team. Inevitably, then, a feeling of nostalgia permeated the Davenport Squash Courts.

Following the ceremony, play got underway. The goal in each of the Jeffs’ two matches was clear: they wanted to continue their domination of the Wesleyan University Cardinals, who entered the weekend below Amherst in the national rankings, and they wanted to earn the respect of the heavily-favored Williams College Ephs.

First up was Wesleyan. The Jeffs proved their superiority effectively, winning 8-1 and crushing any dreams the Cardinals may have had of jumping up the national rankings. Martin had a strong final home game from the number-three spot, dropping a total of only five points to her opponent. First-year Alexandra Dalglish, holding down the Jeffs’ top spot, also played well, defeating her Wesleyan opponent by a 9-1, 9-1, 9-0 score. Said Hannah Merves ’10, “The team came together well” to deliver the Cardinals a demoralizing defeat.

Following the victory over the Cardinals, the Jeffs looked to carry their momentum into their matches against the Ephs. Entering the weekend, Williams was ranked number one in Div. II of collegiate squash, and number nine overall. The Jeffs, on the other hand, entered the tournament having just entered the Div. II scene with their upset over Tufts last weekend, raising their national ranking to 16, the final spot in Div. II.

Despite the rankings, the women knew they were capable of putting up a good fight against the Ephs. Despite their optimism, however, the Jeffs fell by a 9-0 final score. Hayley Milbourn ’11, in the number-two position, managed to win a few points from her opponent, and junior Laurel LaMontagne put up a fight before going down 9-6, 9-1, 9-1. After the match, Dalglish noted that Milbourn displayed a “clear-mindedness … not seen [until now],” despite struggling with her health at the time. Milbourn’s success was largely due to the length of her hits, which helped keep her opponent honest.

Though the Jeffs have no matches to look forward to for this week, the upcoming Nationals will motivate them to keep working hard in practice. As a newcomer to the Div. II scene, they have little to lose and almost everything to gain.