Mount Holyoke Squash Earns Team Title at U.S. Championships

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (Nov. 17, 2007) - The Mount Holyoke College women's squash team kicked off its 2007-08 campaign in grand fashion, earning top honors at the inaugural United States Women's Collegiate Team Championship, hosted by Smith College today. Following a 9-0 win over Smith, the Lyons downed Wellesley College 8-1 to secure the title. Wellesley clinched second place with an 8-1 victory over Smith in the round robin tournament.

All nine of Mount Holyoke's wins over the host Pioneers came in straight sets. The Lyons followed that with seven straight sets victories in their win over Wellesley.

Squash Champions First year Vidushi Gurunada (Colombo, Sri Lanka/Lyceum Int'l School) , junior Menusha Hettiarachchi (Colombo, Sri Lanka/Holy Family Convent) , sophomore Laura Robinson (Paget, Bermuda/Saltus Grammar School) , sophomore Laurian Lue Yen (Kingston, Jamaica/St. Paul's (N.H.)) , senior Elizabeth Wright (Lexington, Mass./Phillips Exeter) , sophomore Kasia Kolodziejczak (Storrs, Conn./Pomfret School) and senior Jacqueline Wade (Concord, N.H./Concord) each won a pair of matches for the Lyons.

Mount Holyoke (2-0) will return to action on Friday, November 30, when it visits Williams College for a match beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Mount Holyoke def. Smith 9-0
1. Vidushi Gurunada (MHC) def. Kate Whitesell (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-2, 9-2)
2. Menusha Hettiarachchi (MHC) def. Sara Smyth (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
3. Laura Robinson (MHC) def. Alice Reznickova (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-1, 9-0)
4. Laurian Lue Yen (MHC) def. Huong Nguyen (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-4, 9-0)
5. Elizabeth Wright (MHC) def. Nikhila Gill (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
6. Pia Seth (MHC) def. Julia Voorhees (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-1)
7. Kasia Kolodziejczak (MHC) def. Meg Oliverio (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-1, 9-2)
8. Jacqueline Wade (MHC) def. Judy Liu (SMI) 3-0 (9-4, 9-1, 9-0)
9. Hillela Simpson (MHC) def. Rachel Courington (SMI) 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-2)

Mount Holyoke def. Wellesley, 8-1
1. Vidushi Gurunada (MHC) def. Sarah Odell (WEL) 3-0 (9-0, 9-2, 9-2)
2. Menusha Hettiarachchi (MHC) def. Ayako Kubodera (WEL) 3-0 (9-1, 9-1, 9-0)
3. Laura Robinson (MHC) def. Jackie Shaw (WEL) 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
4. Laurian Lue Yen (MHC) def. Caroline Tall (WEL) 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
5. Elizabeth Wright (MHC) def. Natalie Chen (WEL) 3-0 (9-0, 9-3, 9-3)
6. Kasia Kolodziejczak (MHC) def. Geraldine NG (WEL) 3-0 (9-2, 9-2, 10-8)
7. Jacqueline Wade (MHC) def. Laura Massey (WEL) 3-0 (9-3, 9-3, 9-4)
8. Oly Fernando (WEL) def. Hillela Simpson (MHC) 3-2 (9-10, 9-6, 9-4, 9-1, 6-9)
9. Sonali Lappin (MHC) def. Ashley Stevens (WEL) 3-1 (9-2, 2-9, 9-6, 9-0)