The girls varsity squash team defeated Taft 4-3 on the road on Wednesday, January 18, for the team’s first win against the Rhinos in at least two decades.

The match started off with two spirited games in front of an animated crowd, as junior Ashanti Amastal, playing in the No. 2 spot, put up a good fight before falling to her opponent, while senior Fiona Murphy, playing up in the ladder in the No. 4 spot after a good week of practice, forced her match to four games but came up short.

At No. 6, sophomore Molly Bernardi came back from an 0-1 deficit to overpower her opponent and win 3-1, securing Loomis' first point in the first round. With the overall score at 1-2 in favor of Taft, the second round of matches got under way with pressure on the Pelicans to rally for a comeback.

At No. 1, senior Angelina Amastal faced an impressive opponent and competed well but came up short.

With the score now 1-3, the Pelicans had their backs against a wall. Senior Princess Davenport outplayed her opponent at the No. 3 spot with strong and precise shots to secure a 3-0 victory, giving Loomis another team point.

The final two matches of the event, featuring sophomore Nagima Williams and senior Rebecca Fowler at No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, intensified the crowd even more and made for a fun finish for all in attendance. After falling behind 2-1 in her match, Williams rallied back to bring the match to a fifth game and fought her way to an impressive and important 3-2 win, tying the team score at 3-3 and leaving Fowler, still on her court, to break the tie.

Fowler found herself down 2-0 in her match but clawed all the way back to even the score at 2-2 headed into the final game. She trailed 6-9 in the fifth game but found the composure and drive to win the next five points, sealing the victory for Loomis.

The Loomis girls squash team has not defeated Taft since Loomis started tracking scores online, during the 2000-2001 season.

Up next, the Pelicans host Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School on Saturday, January 21, at 2 p.m. in the Kohn Squash Pavilion in a matchup that pits sibling against sibling, as head coach Lauren Williams will take on her sister, who is the head coach of the visiting team.