Hartford, CT — Coming into last season’s Women’s National Team Championships (Howe Cup), the Trinity Bantams were ranked second and had just one loss, to eventual national champions Harvard. All of the Bantams’ wins had been decisive except for three 5-4 wins over Princeton, Yale, and Penn.
Trinity didn’t play Princeton during the championships, but they did face Penn and Yale. The Penn match was one of the most exciting of the tournament, with the Quakers pulling out a 5-4 upset to move into the finals, while Trinity went on to defeat Yale 6-3 in the 3-4 playoff match.
The Bantams will be seeking their third-ever national title this season, but to bring the Howe Cup back to Hartford, they’ll have to go through those same four teams: Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale. The Bantams have also lost four seniors to graduation: Tehani Guruge, Nayelly Hernandez, Jo-Ann Jee, and Emily Paton. Hernandez was a 2009-2010 All-American, and Guruge and Jee had earned All-American honors in the past. The trio were also members of the 2009-2010 All-NESCAC team, and Jee was one of only four winter sports athletes (all squash players) selected to NESCAC’s All-Conference, All-Academic, and All-Sportsmanship teams.
Three new players will join the squad. Jennifer Pelletier of Ontario and Catalina Peleaz and Melva Lopez, both of Bogotá, are expected to play in somewhere in the middle to bottom of the lineup. They will join a team whose members have earned numerous distinctions. Pamela Hathway, the 2009-2010 NESCAC Player of the Year, finished second at individuals, and Nour Baghat won the women’s tournament the year before. Both Hathway and Baghat were 2009-2010 All-Americans, and they were also named to the All-NESCAC team along with Robyn Hodgson. Robyn Williams, who will serve as co-captain with Emery Holton, is an All-American in field hockey and led her team to the 2009 NCAA quarterfinals. Junior Alicia Rodriguez, who went undefeated at Howe Cup, also returns.
2009-2010 SEASON RECAP
Season Record: 16-2
Final Ranking: 3
Team Championships/Conference: 3rd Overall (3rd in Howe Cup); 1st in NESCAC
2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW
Program Status: Varsity
Head Coach: Wendy Bartlett
Returning Players from Team Championships: Nour Bahgat (2; 2nd Team All-American; 1st Team All-NESCAC); Pamela Hathway (1; 1st Team All-American; 1st Team All-NESCAC; NESCAC Player of the Year); Robyn Hodgson (5; 2nd Team All-NESCAC); Emery Holton (10); Alicia Rodriguez (7); Robyn Williams (8)
Graduates on Last Season’s Team Championships Roster: Tehani Guruge (4; 2nd Team All-NESCAC); Nayelly Hernandez (3; 1st Team All-American; 1st Team All-NESCAC;); JoAnn Jee (6; 2nd Team All-NESCAC); Emily Paton (9)
Additions to the 2010-2011 Roster:
- Expected to play in the mid-to-bottom 3: Catalina Pelaez, Jennifer Pelletier, and Melva Lopez
Captains: Emery Holton and Robyn Williams
Team Goals: Win the national title
Key Matches: Yale, Penn, Harvard, and Princeton
To read other team previews, please visit the 2010 – 2011 College Squash Preview Page.
