Tufts Downs Blue Squash in CSA Walker Cup Finale, 6-3

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – No. 24 Tufts University handed No. 23 Wellesley College squash a 6-3 setback in the final round of the consolation playoffs at the College Squash Association's (CSA) National Team Championship Walker Cup (C Division) on Sunday afternoon at Yale University's Brady Squash Courts.

The Jumbos close the year at 13-9, making amends for an 8-1 loss to the Blue earlier this season. Wellesley, playing without sidelined sophomore number two Phyllis Lin (Acton, Mass.) for the third straight match, ends the season at 13-8 overall.

Wellesley earned victories in three of the top five matchups in the ladder, including a five-game triumph for sophomore Sarah Zhang (Lexington, Mass.) over Paget Stanco (Rye, N.Y.) in a back-and-forth marathon at number one, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5.

Senior Gabriella Wynne (Brookline, Mass.) and sophomore Haley Connor (Boston, Mass.) each earned their second win in as many matches, with Wynne defeating Sahana Karthik (Singapore) in three-straight, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, at four. Connor opened with an 11-6 win over Lauren Banner (Wayne, Pa.) before the Tufts sophomore countered with an 11-9 win in the second game. However, Connor then closed out the match with wins of 11-7 and 11-6.

Tufts racked up wins at two and three and in all four spots at the bottom of the lineup to clinch the win. Zarena Jafry (Bolton, Mass.) swept Wellesley junior Meera Nayar (Mamroneck, N.Y.), 11-6, 11-9, 11-7, at two and Zarena Jafry (Bolton, Mass.) defeated Rhea Advani (Mumabi, India), 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, at three.

Junior Navisha Gupta (Mumbai, India) was within one game of earning the Blue another victory at six. Gupta earned a 14-12 win in the opening game versus sophomore Claudia Udolf (West Hartford, Conn.) before dropping 11-7 and 17-15 scores in the second and third games. Gupta countered with an 11-9 win in the fourth game before Udolf held on to take an 11-5 win in the deciding game.

Tufts took the remaining matches, with Sinclair Meggitt (Princeton, N.J.) defeating Kate Loftus (Portland, Ore.), 7-11, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6, at seven, Chista Irani (Mumbai, India) downing Ruby Feng (Old Lyme, Conn.), 11-4, 12-10, 11-7 at eight and Gabrielle Salomon (Stamford, Conn.) topping Meredith Curry (Medfield, Mass.) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8, at nine.

The Wellesley squash team ends the 2015-16 season with a record of 13-8. The Blue reached as high as No. 21 in the CSA national rankings during the season, winning a season-best nine matches in-a-row from January 20 through February 9.

Individual members of the team will be in action March 4-6 at the Division III Individual Championships in Stamford, Conn.