NEW HAVEN, CT (January 17, 2009) – Sitting at No. 20 in the College Squash Association (CSA) national team rankings, the Vassar College women's squash team headed to Yale University to play Bowdoin College and Bates College on Friday evening. Playing without its No. 2 player, Vassar dropped a 7-2 match to Bowdoin and an 8-1 match to Bates. Vassar was without its No. 2 player, which meant all players below had to step up a position.

The Brewers fall to 4-5 and will return to Yale on Sunday to play No. 14 Colby College. On Sunday, Vassar will make the trip with its full lineup.

Playing at the No. 7 and 8 spots respectively, junior Cheuk Ting Mak (Hayden, Hong Kong/Coenurd Alene) and freshman Nina Punukollu (Greensbury, PA/St. Andrew's) earned wins against nationally ranked No. 13 Bowdoin. Mak dropped her first game and then won three straight for a 3-1 win, while Punukollu saw her 2-0 lead evaporate into a 2-2 tie, but managed to earn the five-game win. Junior
Emilie Kraft (Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy) won the Brewers' lone match against Bates, at the No. 1 spot. Kraft took the first game from Bowdoin's Elana Laired before going down 1-3 in the evening's first match, but regained her form and composure to take a 3-1 win over Whitney Roller, the top seed from No. 11 Bates.

Bowdoin 7, Vassar 2

1. Elena Laired (BC) def. Emilie Kraft (VC), 3-1 (5-9, 9-6, 9-1, 9-0)
2. Lauren Gesswein (BC) def. Eleanor Weiss (VC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-4, 9-0)
3. Kate Gormley (BC) def. Hope Blinkoff (VC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-1, 9-0)
4. Alex Francesca (BC) def. Caitlin Ly (VC), 3-0 (9-2, 9-0, 9-1)
5. Biz Gillespie (BC) def. Margaret Taylor (VC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-6, 9-7)
6. Lizzy Warner (BC) def. Sarah Hockney (VC), 3-0 (9-3, 9-0, 9-1)
7. Olivia Mak (VC) def. Katie Evshing (BC), 3-1 (4-9, 9-2, 9-1, 9-7)
8. Nina Punukollu (VC) def. Megan McFarlen (BC), 3-2 (9-4, 10-9, 7-9, 1-9, 9-4)
9. Aileen Tschiderer (BC) def. Kristina Schwarz (BC), 3-0 (9-1, 9-8, 9-6)

Bates 8, Vassar 1

1. Emilie Kraft (VC) def. Whitney Roller (BC), 3-1 (8-10, 9-6, 9-0, 9-6)
2. Hannah Laverty (BC) def. Eleanor Weiss (VC), 3-0 (9-7, 9-7, 9-0)
3. Margo Webel (BC) def. Hope Blinkoff (VC), 3-0 (9-2, 9-0, 9-1)
4. Sarah Blomstedt (BC) def. Caitlin Ly (VC), 3-0 (9-4, 9-1, 9-2)
5. Sophie Renquist (BC) def. Margaret Taylor (VC), 3-0 (9-2, 9-5, 9-0)
6. Mimi Neal (BC) def. Sarah Hockney (VC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-0, 9-0)
7. Anna Hogeland (BC) def. Olivia Mak (VC), 3-0 (9-1, 9-0, 9-0)
8. Stephanie Cabot (BC) def. Nina Punukollu (VC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-2, 9-1)
9. Virginia Shippers (BC) def. Kristina Schwarz (VC), 3-0 (9-0, 9-1, 9-0)