PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- No. 20 Bates College pushed top-seed Middlebury to the limit Friday on day one of the 2024 National Collegiate Women's Team Squash Championships as the Bobcats dropped a slim 5-4 decision to the Panthers.

Bates, serving as the No. 8 seed in the Kurtz Cup division of the event, will now take on No. 5 seeded and No. 17 ranked Amherst in Saturday's Consolation bracket at 12:30 p.m. as the Mammoths dropped a 5-4 result to No. 4 seeded and No. 16 ranked Williams. The No. 13 ranked Panthers (14-4) move on to play the Ephs in the semifinals, also Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

The Bobcats (6-11) achieved victory in the top three positions of Friday's match vs. Middlebury, starting with a 3-0 win at No. 1 for senior Andy Martagon. The team captain dismissed Lindsey Burnham (So.-Bryn Mawr, Pa.) by scores of 11-8, 11-7, 11-9. 

First-year Navya Gupta and sophomore Aasya Patel needed all five games to escape with 3-2 victories at positions No. 2 and 3, respectively. Gupta, trailing 2-games-to-1 vs. Sabrina Schwarz (Fy.-Rye, N.Y.), stormed back with wins of 11-8 and 11-9 to seal the "W".

Patel, also facing a 2-1 deficit, rallied to hold off Izzy Ronda (So.-Brooklyn, N.Y.) by taking games four and five by scores of 11-6, 11-6.

Not to be outdone, junior Grace Flaherty authored her own 3-2 triumph in comeback fashion, defeating Eva Finney (Sr.-Baltimore, Md.) at the No. 6 position (5-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7).