This post was written by Hatchet reporter Ellee Watson.

The women’s squash team’s No. 12 national ranking – tying its highest in program history – is now at risk after three consecutive losses, the latest coming at home Saturday against Princeton. The Colonials failed to win a match, losing to the Tigers 9-0.

The defeat comes two weeks after back-to-back losses to No. 11 Columbia 7-2 and to No. 3 Penn 8-1. 

“All three of these matches were with teams ranked considerably higher than we are, and so they all would have been major upsets,” head coach Wendy Lawrence said. “So there is no real disappointment in any of the three losses because they’re just much stronger teams right now.”

Against the Tigers, only No. 1 sophomore Anna Gabriela Porras and No. 2 freshman Breanne Flynn would win games in their match, with the rest of the Colonials getting swept in straight sets.

“To be honest, we didn’t have high expectations of beating Princeton,” Lawrence said. “They have incredible depth, but I think the girls played really hard and gave them a much more consistent matches than we ever have in the two or there times that we have played them before.”

All-American Porras’ 3-2 loss to Princeton’s Maria Elena Ubina snapped her three game winning streak, as she had been the only Colonial to win in all three of the team’s matches up to this point. Porras
won the first game 11-6, but lose the next two 14-12 and 12-10 to go down 2-1. She pulled out the fourth game with her back against the wall to go to a decisive fifth game, but came up just short, losing 12-10.

Flynn also had a tough matchup, taking on Princeton senior Libby Eyre, who finished last season ranked No. 8 nationally. Breanne lost the first two games 11-7 and 11-8, but held out to win the third game 12-10. She traded points with Eyre early in the fourth, but lost her momentum and fell to Eyre 11-4.

“My No. 2 is a Freshman, and she hasn’t had a big win yet, but as we go into the next semester, she’s poised to have some upsets here. She’s playing stronger and stronger everyday.”

Lawrence mentioned at the start of the fall schedule that this is the strongest and deepest team GW has had in a while and believes they can make it into the top 10 of the Collegiate Squash Association rankings. To do so, the Colonials will hope to do more than just gain experience and pull out some actual victories in their somewhat weaker schedule that lies ahead.

“Going forward, there are three matches: Brown, Bate, and Yale, that I believe are ranked above us. Everyone else we play, at this point in time, will be ranked below us,” Lawrence said. “Except for Yale, which will be another incredibly tough match, I think we have a good chance of beating he next two teams that are ranked above us.”

The Colonials pick up their season next semester at Brown Jan. 12.