For most, the Vassar winter break is a long and leisurely hiatus. But for many winter season student-athletes, the break is just a brief pause. The men’s and women’s basketball teams, men’s volleyball team, men’s and women’s squash and men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams reported back to campus early for practice and competition. Many athletes arrive days after Christmas. After a historic fall season, including four conference champions and six national championship tournament qualifiers, winter and spring teams are teed up for lofty expectations.
Highlighting this winter has been the men’s and women’s basketball teams, both solidly in the top three of the Liberty League so far this season. Coming into last weekend, the men’s basketball team was atop the Liberty League before dropping a hard-fought matchup on Friday night against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) who now lead the league. On Saturday, Jan. 24, the squad rebounded with a win against Bard College to head into this week at the number three spot with an 8-1 conference record. The Brewers got off to a hot start, dominating pre-conference play and going 4-1 before starting Liberty League competition. They won their first two conference contests before heading to the West Coast. The Brewers faced solid competition in California, dropping hard-fought games against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and Chapman University. Since returning to Poughkeepsie, the squad is back on track and will look for critical wins against RPI and Union College in February competition.
The women’s basketball team had a challenging start to the season, going 1-3 in its first four games. Since then, however, the squad has displayed composure and focus with strong conference play, emerging at the top of the Liberty League table. Coming into the season, the Brewers have nothing but pressure on them, seeking their third consecutive Liberty League title, which would be their first under rookie Head Coach Carly Assimon. The squad won six of its first seven Liberty League contests and currently sits third in the league at a 7-2 record.
The men’s volleyball team returned to action as one of the top teams on campus, qualifying for the national championship tournament in each of the past three seasons, winning their conference in one and playing in the national championship match in another. This year, the squad got started out West in the Slug Slam Invitational. The team has endured a uniquely rocky start to the season, enduring a handful of injuries and sitting at a 4-2 record after winning their past three matches. The Brewers begin conference action on Feb. 14 against Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The men’s squash team got off to a dazzling start to the season, going undefeated in its first two matches. Since then, however, the squad has been on a downward spiral, dropping 10 straight matches to find themselves at 2-10 on the year.
The women’s squash team has found little more luck with a 4-11 record. The team lost its first two matches of the year before getting back on track with four straight wins. Since then, the team has lost its last nine matches.
The men’s swimming and diving team has had a busy and turbulent season, winning its first two meets before losing its next four. The squad had a solid performance at the Bomber Invitational in Ithaca, New York, finishing fourth out of six before dropping their next two races against Trinity College (CT) and Union College.
The women’s swimming and diving team has had a strong showing this year, winning five of their nine races this season, including a 4/7 result at the Bomber Invitational. Since returning to campus, the Brewers dropped a critical matchup against Trinity College (CT) before rebounding with two straight wins against Mount Holyoke College and Union College.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams have one more regular season competition at the VC Sprint Invitational for Senior Day on Saturday, Jan. 31.