MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- The Mount Holyoke College squash team fell 5-4 to Haverford College in their most competitive match of the season, following the Lyons' 9-0 loss to Denison University in a pair of neutral-site matches played on Friday at Wesleyan University.

The Denison match marked the much-anticipated college debut of Mount Holyoke first-year Habiba Abouelatta (Alexandria, Egypt). Abouelatta played Maria C. Ramirez at the No. 1 position and fell behind 2-0 before winning the third game 11-7. Abouelatta then nearly forced a fifth game in a 12-10 loss.

"We lost but played some great squash," head coach Erin Robson said after the Denison match. "Habiba was very close to pushing her match to five games. She adapted her game really well. Ku also did a great job at No. 3," Robson added in reference to first-year Ku Paw (Hartford, Conn.).

Abouelatta stayed at No. 1 in the Haverford match, and recorded her first win with a 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4) decision over Ariana Solecki.

The Lyons showed impressive depth by sweeping positions 7 through 9 against the Fords. Sophomore Paige Gershuny (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) won in straight games against Amy Saxon at No. 7, and senior Keying Lin (Fujian, China) did the same at No. 9 against Maria Danial. Meanwhile senior captain Janiqua Davis (New Haven, Conn.) prevailed in a 3-1 (13-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-4) battle at No. 8 over Clarice Xu. Junior Xaria Durocher (Boston, Mass.) came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie her match at the No. 2 position before narrowly falling 3-2 against Catherine Fortin.

Mount Holyoke (3-3) will remain at Wesleyan on Saturday to play the host Cardinals at 9:30am, followed by a 7pm match on the Wesleyan courts against Brown University.

Denison 9, Mount Holyoke 0
Jan. 13, 2023 at Wesleyan (Middletown, Conn.)

1. Maria C. Ramirez (D) def. Habiba Abouelatta (MHC) 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10
2. Antoinette Ramsay (D) def. Xaria Durocher (MHC) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3
3. Lane Harding (D) def. Ku Paw (MHC) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3
4. Lindsay Cruickshank (D) def. Tina Mei (MHC) 11-2, 11-5, 11-1
5. Coco Ogdon (D) def. Elba Barra Montgomery (MHC) 11-5, 11-6, 11-1
6. Kate Manderlink (D) def. Dnyaneshwari Haware (MHC) 11-3, 11-2, 11-7
7. Charlotte Sigg (D) def. Paige Gershuny (MHC) 11-3, 11-1, 11-1
8. Hannah Best (D) def. Janiqua Davis (MHC) 11-0, 11-4, 11-4
9. Natalie Stanchina (D) def. Keying Lin (MHC) 11-4, 11-1, 11-4

Haverford 5, Mount Holyoke 4
Jan. 13, 2023 at Wesleyan (Middletown, Conn.)

1. Habiba Abouelatta (MHC) def. Ariana Solecki (H) 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4
2. Catherine Fortin (H) def. Xaria Durocher (MHC) 11-6, 11-5, 5-11, 9-11, 11-3
3. Caroline Smith (H) def. Ku Paw (MHC) 11-4, 11-4, 11-1
4. Amelia Stevens (H) def. Tina Mei (MHC) 11-8, 11-6, 11-2
5. Lyvia Yan (H) def. Elba Barra Montgomery (MHC) 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6
6. Aman Hamdard (H) def. Dnyaneshwari Haware (MHC) 11-1, 12-10, 11-7
7. Paige Gershuny (MHC) def. Amy Saxon 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
8. Janiqua Davis (MHC) def. Clarice Xu (H) 13-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-4
9. Keying Lin (MHC) def. Maria Danial (H) 11-5, 11-4, 11-1