Women’s Basketball: The women’s basketball team have gone nearly perfect on the early part of their season, winning four out of their first five games so far this season. The women picked up their first win on the road against William Patterson University, 60-56. The Brewers then hosted the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament, where they faced up against Simmons College and Oneonta College, securing the win against Sim- mons and suffering a setback against Oneonta. The VC squad next squared up against Mount Saint Mary College at home and won 52-43. In their most current game, the team defeated New Paltz on the road this Tuesday. The Brewers will host Ithaca and William Smith this upcoming weekend for their first Liberty League conference matchups.
Women’s Fencing: The women’s fencing team has gotten off to a solid start, picking up 8 wins against 5 losses in their first matchups of the season. The Brewers hosted the Vassar Invitational to kick off their season, where they beat Queens College, Wagner College, City College of New York University and Farleigh Dickinson University and lost to Haverford College, Liu Post and Drew University. The following weekend, the Brewers hosted another tournament, the Matt Lampel Hudson River Invitational, where the they went 4-2. The team knocked off Liberty League foe RIT and beat Liu Post this time around. Up next this weekend, the Brewers will be hosting the Traditional Multi-Meet.
Men’s Fencing: The men’s fencing team has stormed out of the gates with a perfect 13-0 record. The Brewers have knocked off Liberty League opponents, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, and University of Rochester, as well as some tough out of conference teams in Haverford, Army, Drew and Cornell. Up next, Vassar will host the Traditional Multi- Meet on Sunday, Dec. 3, where they will be facing up against schools to the likes of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and Penn State. Senior Tom Racek, who has been a key member of the men’s fencing team since his freshman year, explains the importance of the upcoming multi-meet. “The multi-meet is something we have been building up to, so we are prepared in respect to the physicality of the meet and also the mental intensity and resilience that will need to come with it,” he commented. Racek also noted the level of difficulty that some of these matches entail. “What people are not aware of in fencing is that there are no separation of the divisions, so essentially everyone is competing at a Division 1 level. It is not uncommon for some of us to face Olympians, national champions or World Team members while we are competing,” he explained, making the feat of going undefeated in the first 13 matches even more impressive. As far as the rest of the season goes, Racek explained that the main goal of the team is continual improvement. “We want to continue to build upon the talent that is already present and ensure that every year is a progression,” he noted. With such a strong start so far, there is no question that this season could be their best yet.
Women’s Squash: The 2017-2018 women’s squash campaign has begun on the right foot. Playing in nine matches and with only two loss- es, the Brewers have already asserted themselves as a strong team. The women knocked off teams such as Fordham, Boston University, Bucknell, University of Rochester and Smith College. The two losses this season came at the hands of William Smith and Mount Holyoke. Vassar has one more match in December against Bates and Haverford College, but won’t play again until they face off against Boston College and Bucknell at the end of January. Sophomore Sydney Nemphos, who has been a solid player for the Brewers the past two seasons, commented on this large break and what it means for team looking ahead. “After this upcoming weekend, we don’t have any matches until January, but everyone on the team is super dedicated and will definitely be doing some form of preparation over break, whether it’s getting on court or doing some other sort of workout,” Nemphos explained. “We also come back the week before our matches so that we can practice, which will get us back into the swing of things before taking on Boston College and Bucknell.” It is clear that the Brewers should have no issues dealing with the break in their season, thanks to the dedication of the team.
Men’s Squash: The men’s squash team has suffered some tough losses and have gained some strong wins, going 4-5 thus far. The Brewers have picked up big wins against Lafayette, Swarthmore, Siena and Colgate, and lost in an extremely close match against Bryant University. The Brewers will host their next four matches at home, facing up against eight different teams. However, after next weekend, the Brewers won’t play again until the end of January, leaving a big gap in between their next two matches. Senior captain Alex Riccio explained that the goal for this season is making sure the team is continuously improving. “We feel like we can do some damage in our division at Nationals in February, so we want to keep improving so we can have a strong performance there,” Riccio commented. Riccio is looking to help guide the team down the right path over the next few months. “As a captain, I’m looking to continue helping the new members improve their games – both from a technical and strategic perspective,” Riccio said. “Playing practice matches is also a big component of our training, so helping everyone be match ready is something I’m focusing on as well.”
Women’s Swimming: The women’s swimming team has swum strong thus far, posting a winning record of 3-2 over their first five meets of the season. The women started off their season with a huge win against Brandeis University, followed by another win against Bard. Their third win of the season came on the road in Saratoga Springs, where the Brewers beat Skidmore 165-127. However, the last two meets have proven to be less favorable for the Brewers. Vassar fell to both RPI and New Paltz in their last two matchups. Looking ahead, the Brewers will compete in the RIT Invitational, as well as the Seven Sisters Championship, along with four other home meets to round out their season before Liberty League Championships.
Men’s Swimming: The men’s swimming team has started off their season going 2-3, pick- ing up wins in conference against Bard College and Skidmore College, but falling to RPI, Brandeis and New Paltz. This upcoming weekend the Brewers will travel to Rochester, NY to compete in the RIT Invitational. After the RIT Invitational, the swim team will only have four more meets, spanning the next two months before the Liberty League Championships begin at the end of February.