The Big Green women finished sixth as they said goodbye to seniors Jessica Vyrostko '06, Jessica Tory '06 and star Julia Drury '06, who has played at No. 1 for most of the 2005-06 campaign.
However, it was Tory who stole the initial spotlight, emerging victorious in the women's only victory against the host Crimson, who defeated the Big Green 8-1.
Tory, playing at the No. 9 slot, soundly defeated Harvard's Elizabeth Berylson in three sets, 9-1, 9-6 and 10-9. Unfortunately for the Big Green, Tory's win would be the only triumph against the talented women in crimson.
However, Dartmouth fared better in its next match, trapping the Brown University Bears in an 8-1 landslide.
Sophomore Ashley Malenchak '08 won easily at No. 1, calmly disposing of Brown's top-ranked competitor Megan Cerullo by a tally of 9-5, 10-8, 9-2. The win set the stage for an Ivy League rematch with the University of Pennsylvania to determine the fifth-place finisher in the tournament.
Alas, the Quakers were the ones who triumphed in the end, as they dispatched the Big Green by a score of 7-2.
The lone wins for the Big Green came at the No. 4 spot, as Avery Eyre '07 completed a dramatic rally from two sets down to emerge victorious over UPenn's Tara Chawla by a score of 4-9, 7-9, 9-4, 9-2, 9-1.
At No. 8 for the Dartmouth women, Madeline Lurio '09 took care of her Quaker competitor Maggie Kemper by a convincing tally of 9-6, 9-5, 5-9, 9-1.
Drury, however, is one member of the Big Green team who still has competitive squash ahead of her. "Not very impressed" with her performance over this weekend, she still has a tournament this coming weekend to determine her final collegiate ranking, and her goal is to make the top ten in the nation.
She would, however, still be happy making the second team All-American squad as well. This spring, Drury will be competing to make the American under-23 team. For as potent a player as Dartmouth squash has seen, these goals should be attainable for Drury.
While she is sad to leave, she also believes that the team is left in some capable hands. "I expect great things from the team next year, especially with the return of Christie Alexander ['08] who took a year off due to injury," said Drury. "Though I will no longer be a player on the women's team, I will definitely become their biggest fan."
After her final collegiate match, Tory recalled her four years as a member of the Big Green squash team with pride.
"I think that any senior who has played on a team at Dartmouth for four years will tell you the same thing: that being able to play a sport that you love while representing a school that you love is a special privilege," she said. "So for the rest of you, enjoy every practice, every game, even every bus ride, because it just goes by so fast."
The Big Green women are sad to see their seniors depart, but if the superb play of Lurio and Malenchak is any indication of things to come, Dartmouth is well-stocked with plenty of firearms to last it well into the near future.
The competition may have been stiff this year, but the overall result was very pleasing for Dartmouth. The women in green will look to improve upon this season's impressive finish next year, and all signs are go for a steady liftoff in the national rankings.
