Blue Squash Downs Conn. in Dramatic Fashion to Close CSA Championships

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Wellesley College squash team sealed a #23 national ranking, closing out play at the 2013 College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships on Sunday. The Blue topped Connecticut College 5-4 in their final match of the weekend, upsetting the higher-ranked Camels in dramatic fashion.

Wellesley opened play with early wins from seniors Margo Sulmont and Cara Kaufman, and a loss at three, to go up, 2-1. Sulmont was an 8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-7 winner at six, while Kaufman won at nine, 11-3, 11-5, 11-1. At three, sophomore Lilly Tyson fought hard, battling back from an 0-2 deficit, but fell in a five-game match.

In the second round of matches, Conn. swept the action to take a 4-2 advantage. The Camels picked up wins at two, five and eight to take over the lead.

Wellesley got one back quickly, as sophomore Alexandra Spiliakos swept her opponent in the seventh spot, earning an 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 victory to narrow Conn's lead in the team match.

With Wellesley behind 4-3, the match would come down to the final two spots on the court, the first and fourth flights. At four, junior Sara Del Balzo earned an sweep, using scores of 11-4, 11-3, 11-8, to tie the match at 4-4.

In the deciding match on court, Wellesley junior Rosemary O'Connor battled the Camels' Caroline Sargent in the first flight. Sargent jumped out to an early 2-1 lead, winning the first and third games to hold a 2-1 advantage. O'Connor fought back in the fourth game, winning 11-4 to tie the match at 2-2, and then triumphed 11-9 in a nail-biting fifth set, to earn the match win and the team victory.

This is the second-straight year that Wellesley's final match of the CSA Team Championships was a win against Conn. College.

With the team-portion of the 2012-13 season behind them, Wellesley squash (9-15) will now await selections to the CSA Individual Championships.