Western Mass Squash

Northampton, MA — The ninth annual Seven Sisters squash tournament was held this weekend at Smith College. Since its inception in the 1999-2000 College Squash season, Vassar has won the tournament four times, Wellesley three times, Mount Holyoke twice, and Smith once.

The Seven Sisters is a consortium of women’s liberal arts colleges that was founded in 1915. Originally, the Seven Sisters included Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Smith, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Barnard, and Radcliffe. The consortium served as the female equivalent of the once all-male Ivy League. Today, Radcliffe is part of Harvard and Barnard is included in the Columbia educational system. Vassar became coeducational in 1969.

According to Lynn Oberbillig, Smith’s Director of Athletics, “Seven Sisters competition epitomizes a special blending of pride, inegrity, teamwork, and a sharing in the rich women’s tradition in sport.” Besides squash, other sports with Seven Sisters championships include basketball, crew, cross country, field hockey, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball.

The Seven Sisters schools have a strong squash tradition. In order to promote the sport and women’s educational institutions, this season Smith College founded the Women’s Collegiate Team Championships (photos). In November, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Wellesley participated in the event. Mount Holyoke emerged with the inaugural title.

This year, there were four teams participating in the Seven Sisters tournament: Mount Holyoke (#12), Wellesley (#20), Vassar (#27) and Smith (#31). In the opening match, Mount Holyoke easily defeated Smith 9-0. The Mount Holyoke Lyons won each match by a score of 3-0.

Wellesley and Vassar faced off in the other semi-final. Like the Lyons, the Vassar Brewers won 9-0. Longmeadow’s Anna Licht defeated Natalie Chen in five games.

In the third place match, Wellesley played Smith. Although Wellesley was the stronger team and captured the match 8-1, the number ones, Smith’s Kate Whitesell and Wellesley’s Sarah Odell, played a dramatic five-game match. Whitesell won the match with a 9-5 victory in the final game. Williston Northampton alumna and Wellesley’s number two player Ayako Kubodera defeated Sara Smyth in three games.

Despite having several sick players, Mount Holyoke won the chapionship with a 7-2 victory over Vassar. Mount Holyoke captured the top seven matches by 3-0 scores. All of the winners in the Mount Holyoke/Vassar match received All-Tournament team honors.

Below are pictures from the Seven Sisters Tournament.

Link to Mount Holyoke Press Release.

Link to Smith Press Release.

Below are complete match results, All-Tournament Team Selections, and Past Tournament Winners:

Mount Holyoke def. Smith, 9-0:
1. Pamela Anckermann (MHC) def. Kate Whitesell (SMI), 3-0 (9-2, 9-1, 9-0)
2. Menusha Hettiarachchi (MHC) def. Sara Smyth (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-0, 9-0)
3. Vidushi Gurunada (MHC) def. Huong Nguyen (SMI), 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
4. Laura Robinson (MHC) def. Meg Oliverio (SMI), 3-0 (9-0, 9-1, 9-0)
5. Laurian Lue Yen (MHC) def. Alice Reznickova (SMI), 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-1)
6. Elizabeth Wright (MHC) def. Julia Voorhees (SMI), 3-0 (9-3, 9-0, 9-0)
7. Pia Seth (MHC) def. Judy Liu (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-1, 9-0)
8. Hillela Simpson (MHC) def. Jasmine Wallas (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-5, 9-0)
9. Lila Khan (MHC) def. Kelsey Radwilowicz (SMI), 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-2)
10. Sonali Lapin (MHC) def. Elizabeth Hughes (SMI), 3-0 (9-2, 9-1, 9-0)

Vassar def. Wellesley, 9-0:
1. Emilie Kraft (VAS) def. Sarah Odell (WEL), 3-0 (9-5, 9-1, 9-0)
2. Nadia Jihad (VAS) def. Ayako Kubodera (WEL), 3-0 (9-2, 9-2, 9-5)
3. Amalia Sax-Bolder (VAS) def. Jackie Shaw (WEL), 3-1 (8-10, 9-0, 9-3, 9-2)
4. Eleanor Weiss (VAS) def. Caroline Tall (WEL), 3-0 (9-0, 9-1, 9-10)
5. Anna Licht (VAS) def. Natalie Chen (WEL), 3-2 (9-5, 7-9, 4-9, 9-4, 9-2)
6. Hope Blinkoff (VAS) def. Geraldine Ng (WEL), 3-0 (9-1, 9-0, 9-5)
7. Courtney Burks (VAS) def. Oly Fernando (WEL), 3-0 (9-0, 9-2, 9-0)
8. Anna Robinson (VAS) def. Sam Chu (WEL), 3-0 (9-5, 9-7, 9-0)
9. Lorrette Fisher (VAS) def. Ashley Stevens (WEL), 3-2 (5-9, 9-5, 9-2, 4-9, 9-4)
10. Laura Stevens (WEL) def. Olivia Mak (VAS), 3-0 (9-4, 9-2, 9-0)

Wellesley def. Smith, 8-1:
1. Kate Whitesell (SMI) def. Sarah Odell (WEL), 3-2 (5-9, 9-3, 9-7, 6-9, 9-5)
2. Ayako Kubodera (WEL) def. Sara Smyth (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 10-8, 9-5)
3. Jackie Shaw (WEL) def. Huong Nguyen (SMI), 3-0 (9-3, 9-2, 9-3)
4. Caroline Tall (WEL) def. Meg Oliverio (SMI), 3-0 (9-2, 9-6, 9-2)
5. Natalie Chen (WEL) def. Alice Reznickova (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-0, 9-0)
6. Geraldine Ng (WEL) def. Julia Voorhees (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-0, 9-3)
7. Oly Fernando (WEL) def. Judy Liu (SMI) 3-0 (9-6, 9-4, 9-4)
8. Sam Chu (WEL) def. Jasmine Wallas (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-3, 9-0)
9. Ashley Stevens (WEL) def. Kelsey Radwilowicz (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-0, 9-1)
10. Laura Stevens (WEL) def. Elizabeth Hughes (SMI), 3-0 (9-1, 9-3, 9-3)

Mount Holyoke def. Vassar, 7-2:
1. Pamela Anckermann (MHC) def. Emilie Kraft (VAS), 3-0 (9-1, 9-4, 9-5)
2. Menusha Hettiarachchi (MHC) def. Nadia Jihad (VAS), 3-0 (9-2, 9-1, 9-1)
3. Vidushi Gurunada (MHC) def. Amalia Sax-Bolder (VAS), 3-0 (9-1, 9-1, 9-2)
4. Laura Robinson (MHC) def. Eleanor Weiss (VAS), 3-0 (9-7, 9-2, 9-2)
5. Laurian Lue Yen (MHC) def. Anna Licht (VAS), 3-0 (9-2, 9-4, 9-3)
6. Elizabeth Wright (MHC) def. Hope Blinkoff (VAS), 3-0 (9-3, 9-2, 9-1)
7. Pia Seth (MHC) def. Courtney Burks (VAS), 3-0 (10-9, 9-4, 9-2)
8. Anna Robinson (VAS) def. Hillela Simpson (MHC), 3-2 (5-9, 1-9, 9-1, 9-2, 9-1)
9. Lorrette Fisher (VAS) def. Lila Khan (MHC), 3-0 (9-7, 9-7, 9-1)
10. Sonali Lapin (MHC) def. Olivia Mak (VAS), 3-0, (9-1, 9-6, 9-6)

2007-2008 Seven Sisters All-Tournament Team:
1. Pamela Anckermann (MHC)
2. Menusha Hettiarachchi
3. Vidushi Gurunada (MHC)
4. Laura Robinson (MHC)
5. Laurian Lue Yen (MHC)
6. Elizabeth Wright (MHC)
7. Pia Seth (MHC)
8. Anna Robinson (VAS)
9. Lorrette Fisher (VAS)

Past Winners of the Seven Sisters Squash Tournament:
1999-2000: Smith, Wellesley, and Mount Holyoke
2000-2001: Wellesley
2001-2002: Wellesley
2002-2003: Vassar
2003-2004: Vassar
2004-2005: Vassar
2005-2006: Vassar
2006-2007: Mount Holyoke
2007-2008: Mount Holyoke

Related Articles

• January 21, 2007 -- Seven Sisters Tournament: MHC Wins
• January 30, 2006 -- MHC/Smith Tournament Wrap Up
• March 1, 2008 -- 2008 CSA Individual Championships - Saturday
• November 18, 2007 -- Photos from the Women’s Collegiate Team Championships
• January 23, 2006 -- 2006 Seven Sisters Tournament