ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior Jessenia Pacheco, and freshmen Rachel Scherman and Sydney Francis swept the second rotation to clinch the women's squash team's 7-2 victory over Columbia on Saturday at Belkin International Squash Courts.
 
Rachel Au (No. 3) and Reut Odinak (No. 6) rebounded from opening-game losses to win in four and leave the Big Red with a 2-1 lead after the first rotation. The middle turn made sure 11th-ranked Columbia (1-1) never gained any traction and sewed up the match before the final three matches. Francis came out on top in three close games, and Pacheco cruised to a three-game win on the spectator court. Scherman took a two-game lead before falling in the third game, only to rebound for an easy 11-4 victory in the fourth game.
 
Danielle Letourneau (No. 1) completed the sweep for the top third of the lineup, and Olivia Wherry (No. 7) outlasted her opponent with a 12-10 win in the fifth game to finish the match and leave sixth-ranked Cornell 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Ivy League.
 
The Big Red will enter a hiatus for final exams and the holidays before returning to action in January with a three-match road trip to Brown, Yale and Trinity.
 
No. 6 CORNELL 7, No. 11 COLUMBIA 2
Saturday, at Belkin International Squash Courts; Ithaca, N.Y.
1. Danielle Letourneau (Cor) def. Colette Sultana, 12-10, 11-0, 11-4.
2. Jessenia Pacheco (Cor) def. Grace Van Arkel, 11-7, 11-6, 11-2.
3. Rachel Au (Cor) def. Reyna Pacheco, 2-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-3.
4. Catherine Jenkins (Clm) def. Brynn Daniels, 11-5, 8-11, 3-11, 11-4, 11-9.
5. Rachel Scherman (Cor) def. Maya Patel, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4.
6. Reut Odinak (Cor) def. Leah Barnet, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-5.
7. Olivia Wherry (Cor) def. Alisha Maity, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10.
8. Sydney Francis (Cor) def. Monica Stone, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9.
9. Kate Calihan (Clm) def. Kristin Scillia, 11-6, 11-7, 11-2.
Records: Cornell 3-0, 1-0 Ivy; Columbia 1-1, 0-1 Ivy