NEW YORK – Junior Jane Pincus pulled out victories in both of her matches to highlight the No. 8 Columbia women's squash team's Sunday doubleheader against No. 6 Stanford and No. 1 Harvard. The Lions were edged out by the Cardinal, 5-4, before being handed their second defeat by the Crimson, 8-1.

Competing in the No. 9 position, Pincus powered her way to victories over Stanford's Haley Aube and Harvard's Grace Steelman. In doing so, she became the first Lion in program history to earn a match victory against Harvard. Pincus held off a rally against Aube to win the fifth game, 11-9. She impressed with a convincing sweep of Steelman in the afternoon, 12-10, 11-4, 11-4.

"Jane played really well today," associate head coach Joanne Schickerling said. "Coming out with the team's first ever match win against Harvard is really big for her. It gives both her and the team the confidence to know they can compete against the top team in the country. Last weekend we beat Yale for the first time in program history. We're really stepping up to the plate and giving all of these top teams a go. We just need to keep competing hard and the wins will come."

Columbia's record moves to 7-4 on the season with Sunday's results. Stanford improved to 4-3, while the Crimson remained unbeaten at 6-0.

Cindy Cao put Columbia's first point of the day on scoreboard against Stanford, holding on in five games against Juliette Love by a score of 12-10 in the tiebreak.

Habiba Mohamed battled it out with Elena Wagenmans in the No. 1 match. Mohamed dropped the first game, 7-11, but came back to win the second and third games by scores of 11-7 and 12-10. Wagenmans fought back to force a tiebreak, but Mohamed overpowered her, 11-3, to give the Lions their second point.

With Stanford leading the match, 4-2, Jane Pincus pulled through with a huge win from the No. 9 position. Pincus took a 2-1 lead on Haley Aube before the Crimson contender won the fourth, 11-8, to force the fifth game. In a back-and-forth battle, Pincus pulled it out, 11-9, to keep the Lions alive.

Pincus's victory left it up to Doria Chen and Nicole Kendall. Chen was able to fight off Samantha Moadel, 3-1, but the Cardinal clinched the match just before Chen finished. Playing at No. 2, Stanford's Casey Wong held off a rally by Kendall, 8-11, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, as the visitors walked away with the win.

Pincus was the highlight against Harvard but other Lions put up tough fights against the top team in the land. Competing in the No. 4 position, Jui Kalgutkar led Eleonore Evans 2-1 after three games before ultimately falling in a 43-minute match that went the distance, 11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 8-11, 3-11. The Lions also earned a game in matches involving Bunny Fox and Ellie McVeigh.

Columbia returns to action next Sunday, traveling to Charlottesville to face No. 10 Virginia. That matchup is scheduled to begin at noon.

Results: #8 Columbia 4 – #6 Stanford 5
1 | Habiba Mohamed (COL) def. Elena Wagenmans (STA) 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-3
2 | Casey Wong (STA) def. Nicole Kendall (COL) 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7
3 | Caroline Neave (STA) def. Erica McGillicuddy (COL) 11-4, 17-15, 6-11, 3-11, 11-8
4 | Cassandra Ong (STA) def. Jui Kalgutkar (COL) 11-7, 11-5, 11-0
5 | Chloe Chemtob (STA) def. Bunny Fox (COL) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
6 | Amita Gondi (STA) def. Ellie McVeigh (COL) 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8
7 | Cindy Cao (COL) def. Juliette Love (STA) 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 12-10
8 | Doria Chen (COL) def. Samantha Moadel (STA) 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7
9 | Jane Pincus (COL) def. Haley Aube (STA) 10-12, 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9

Results: #8 Columbia 1 – #1 Harvard 8
1 | Georgina Kennedy (HAR) def. Habiba Mohamed (COL) 11-3, 11-4, 11-3
2 | Amelia Henley (HAR) def. Nicole Kendall (COL) 11-7, 11-2, 11-3
3 | Hana Moataz (HAR) def. Erica McGillicuddy (COL) 11-5, 11-2, 11-6
4 | Eleonore Evans (HAR) def. Jui Kalgutkar (COL) 8-11, 11-3, 10-12. 11-8. 11-3
5 | Madeleine Chair (HAR) def. Bunny Fox (COL) 11-6, 11-3, 6-11, 13-11
6 | Hannah Craig (HAR) def. Ellie McVeigh (COL) 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
7 | Evie Coxon (HAR) def. Cindy Cao (COL) 11-8, 11-8, 11-8
8 | Charlotte Orcutt (HAR) def. Doria Chen (COL) 11-6, 11-1, 11-9
9 | Jane Pincus (COL) def. Grace Steelman (HAR) 12-10, 11-4, 11-4