The Sports Page
February may be the shortest month of the year, but it was long on competition and impressive results for many Vassar teams.
Basketball
The women kicked off February with a dramatic 67-65 win over Skidmore thanks to an overtime buzzer-beater from sophomore standout Cydni Matsuoka. Following losses to Rensellaer and St. Lawrence and wins over Clarkson and RIT, Vassar clinched a spot in the Liberty League Championship with a resounding 70-55 victory over William Smith. In the process, senior Brittany Parks (pictured) became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,543 points (and counting). She surpasses the previous record—1,540—held by Kirsten Vogt ’96. The women went on to defeat previously undefeated St. Lawrence 79-75 to earn their second consecutive Liberty League Championship. Matsuoka was named the Championship Most Valuable Player. The Brewers now advance to the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships.
After losses early in the month to Union and Rensselaer, the men rebounded with wins over Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Freshman Johnny Mrlik sealed the victory with a three pointer that put Vassar ahead with one minute left to play. The men finished their season with losses to Bard and Hobart and a win over RIT. Mrlik and classmate Alex Snyder were named to the Liberty League All-Rookie Team.
Fencing
The men’s team faced difficult competition last month, with losses to Yale, Columbia, and NYU. They held their ground at the third North East Multi Meet of the season, however. Senior Nicholas Johnson (pictured), with a 13-2 record at the meet, led the team’s performance.
The women’s team similarly fell to Yale, Columbia, and NYU, but shined at the North East Multi Meet, going 5-1 against six other colleges. Senior Brooke Schieffer (sabre) led the squad with an impressive 16-1 record for the meet.
Rowing
Members of the men’s team traveled to the New York Athletic Club for the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Indoor Rowing Ergatta. They faced rowers from other area schools, including Manhattan College, NYU, and Sarah Lawrence. Sophomore Justin Nesheiwat pulled to an impressive first place in the men’s collegiate lightweight 2000m event.
Several women’s team members also competed. Senior Hannah Siebens took first place in the women’s collegiate openweight 2000m event, and was named the fastest female of the competition.
Squash
The women fell to Tufts and Wesleyan recently, after suffering a trio of losses to Mount Holyoke, Wellesley, and Smith at the Seven Sisters Championship.
The men have had an up and down season, with dominant victories over Fordham and Ithaca, a loss to Wesleyan, strong wins over Siena and Bard, losses to Boston College and Kenyon, and a victory over the University of Washington. They finished the regular season with a 10-15 record, more wins than the previous two seasons combined.
Swimming and Diving
The men won their fifth consecutive Sprint Invitational at Kresge Pool, topping Skidmore, Mount Saint Vincent, Bard, and Sarah Lawrence. Freshman Luc Amodio (pictured) set a program and meet record in the 50-yard backstroke with a time of 25.38.
The women also won the Sprint Invitational, held at Skidmore, with victories over William Smith, Skidmore, Sarah Lawrence, SUNY Cobleskill, and Bard. Highlights from the event included a Vassar sweep of first through fourth place in the 1-meter diving event.
Tennis
The women started the season ranked No. 26 in the nation and No. 10 in the Northeast by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association among 388 teams in Division III. Freshman Ava Sadeghi (pictured) began the season ranked No. 8 in the region. The spring season began with a tough loss to Division I rival Fordham.
The men opened their spring season with a pair of 9-0 sweeps of Farmingdale and Baruch. After a loss to Division I Army, they got back on track with another 9-0 sweep, this time of Rensselaer.
Volleyball
The men took down No. 4 ranked NYU in straight sets at the end of the January, but the Violets took revenge with a recent 3-2 win in UVC play. February proved a rocky road, with tough losses to No. 9 Stevens Institute, No. 6 Nazareth, and Elmira. Victories over Medaille and, more recently, SUNY IT saw the men with a 4-4 record.
Alumnae/i Matches
The men’s and women’s basketball programs hosted alumni and alumnae matches last month. Plus, the college hosted its annual Faculty-Student Basketball Game. Check out the article "Court Battles" in this month’s eNewsletter for all the details!
For more results, and the latest from Vassar Athletics, visit the website.
Compiled by Peter Bronski with Shane Donahue '10