Women’s squash beats Williams in NESCAC semifinals
Nessrine Ariffin '15 and the Bates women's squash team will play for the NESCAC championship at Trinity on Sunday. (Photo by Preston Carey '96)
HARTFORD, Conn. — The Bates women’s squash team will make its first appearance in the championship match of the NESCAC Women’s Squash tournament’s seven-year existence, following Saturday’s 8-1 quarterfinal win over Bowdoin and 5-4 semifinal triumph over Williams.
Bates (17-4), seeded second in the tournament for the first time, won its sixth straight match in Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinals by taking down seventh seed Bowdoin 8-1. The Bobcats won by a 3-0 score at six out of nine positions on the ladder: first-year star Nessrine Ariffin (Penang, Malaysia) at No. 1, fellow rookie standout Myriam Kelly (New York, N.Y.) at No. 3, sophomore Rakey Drammeh (New York, N.Y.) at No. 5, first-year Chloe Mitchell (Chatham, N.J.) at No. 6, junior Ali Bragg (Darien, Conn.) at No. 7 and first-year Lesea Bourke (Greenwich, Conn.) at No. 8.
The Bobcats earned their No. 2 seeding by toppling perennial conference runner-up Williams by a 7-2 score a month ago in Lewiston, their first win over the Ephs after 23 previous meetings. Bates made it two in a row over Williams on Saturday, this time by a 5-4 score. Ariffin and junior captain Cheri-Ann Parris (St. Philip, Barbados) both registered crucial 3-2 victories at the first and second spots on the ladder, respectively. Drammeh won 3-0 at No. 6, while Mitchell and Bourke both won by 3-1 scores at 7 and 9, respectively.
Bates faces Trinity for the second time this season on Sunday at 1:30pm on the Bantams’ home court. Trinity won 8-1 at Bates on Nov. 20, with Ariffin gaining Bates’ lone point at the No. 1 spot.
Bates 8, Bowdoin 1
Feb 4, 2012 at Trinity College
1. Nessrine Ariffin (BAT) def. Torey Lee (BOW) 11-6, 11-3, 11-3
2. Cheri-Ann Parris (BAT) def. Rachel Barnes (BOW) 1-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-1
3. Myriam Kelly (BAT) def. Alden Drake (BOW) 11-7, 11-6, 11-6
4. Samantha Matos (BAT) def. Monica Wlodarczyk (BOW) 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6
5. Rakey Drammeh (BAT) def. Michaela Martin (BOW) 15-13, 12-10, 11-2
6. Chloe Mitchell (BAT) def. Elizabeth Schetman (BOW) 11-7, 11-5, 11-9
7. Ali Bragg (BAT) def. Bonnie Cao (BOW) 11-4, 11-8, 11-7
8. Lesea Bourke (BAT) def. Sara Wlodarczyk (BOW) 11-1, 11-6, 11-7
9. Christiana Whitcomb (BOW) def. Rokya Samake (BAT) 11-5, 11-6, 11-3
Bates 5, Williams 4
Feb 4, 2012 at Trinity College
1. Nessrine Ariffin (BAT) def. Courtney Bogle (WIL) 11-6, 9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-8
2. Cheri-Ann Parris (BAT) def. Alison Rubin (WIL) 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4
3. Laura Henry (WIL) def. Myriam Kelly (BAT) 14-12, 11-7, 11-5
4. Alyssa Northrop (WIL) def. Samantha Matos (BAT) 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 14-16, 11-5
5. Elly O’Naill (WIL) def. Ashley Brooks (BAT) 11-3, 11-3, 11-0
6. Rakey Drammeh (BAT) def. Caroline Sawin (WIL) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3
7. Chloe Mitchell (BAT) def. Hannah Kaemmer (WIL) 11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 11-4
8. Carolyn Kaemmer (WIL) def. Ali Bragg (BAT) 4-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9
9. Lesea Bourke (BAT) def. Mia Fry (WIL) 8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-6
Exh. Rokya Samake (BAT) def. Eliana Saltzman (WIL) 11-6, 11-1, 11-3