Since squash became a varsity sport in 2017, the Cavaliers have been a force to be reckoned with on the college circuit — both the men’s team and women’s team are ranked sixth in this year’s preseason poll. Virginia men’s and women’s squash are set to kick off their season in a home matchup against Columbia, with its No. 8 ranked men’s team and No. 9 ranked women’s team Saturday at the McArthur Squash Center. Yet squash has not gained significant popularity in the eyes of Virginia fans, so a guide is in order for the Cavalier faithful. From basic rules to a preview of the schedule, this guide is all you will need to prepare to follow along with the upcoming season.
Guide to squash rules
Squash is played on a hardwood court, surrounded by walls on all sides. The game begins when the serving team has at least once foot inside the service-box and hits the ball with their racquet onto the wall. Players, or a team of two, take turns hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall with a racquet. A team is awarded a point if their hit bounces off the wall — then hits the ground twice — before the opposing team can do the same. Games are played to eleven points, but a team is required to win by at least two points and games are played in best-of-three or best-of-five series.
Common strategies involve staying in the middle of the court if possible in order to easily reach all areas on the court. This middle area is known as the “T” because of the middle line and service box lines intersecting to create the letter. Additionally, players try to hit the ball towards the side walls of the court, to make the return hit a more difficult one for their opponent.
In the collegiate scene, Virginia is part of both the College Squash Association and the more regional Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference, which are similar to the NCAA and ACC, respectively. For both the men’s and women’s teams, the MASC conference championships run from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9. On the CSA side, the individual championships are from Jan. 25 to Jan. 28, while the team championships happen from Mar. 6 to Mar. 9.
Guide to the women’s team
After ending last season ranked seventh nationally, the Cavaliers will look to push for both a conference and national title. Virginia has yet to claim a CSA championship but won the inaugural MASC championship back in 2019. Since then, Drexel has won every conference title. The road to contend will not be an easy one for the Cavaliers, who face a gauntlet of a schedule.
Following the opener at home against the Lions, No. 7 Yale comes to the McArthur Squash Center — Virginia’s home ground — just a day later. The home stretch continues into the following weekend when the Cavaliers host No. 3 Pennsylvania and No. 25 Chatham. After losing 7-2 to the Quakers last season, Virginia will be looking for some revenge.
The next weekend is perhaps the toughest one for the Cavaliers though, as they travel north to play No. 1 Harvard and No. 11 Dartmouth in the same weekend. This early gauntlet eventually lets up for Virginia, as they do not face another ranked opponent for the rest of the regular season.
Gutting out victories against such strong competition is no small task, but the Cavaliers have the talent to make a splash. Graduate Meagan Best, a two-time MASC Player of the Year and three-time CSA All-American will be leading the charge once again this season. Her 13-6 record last season — almost all of which was against the other team’s best player — earned her national recognition.
Not far behind Best is junior Lina Tammam, who earned a Second Team All-American nod last season and a conference first team selection. The former MASC Co-Rookie of the Year will hope to keep building on her momentum that got her invited to the national singles tournament.
Rounding out the top four are All-MASC Second Team selections senior Maureen Foley and sophomore Clare Minnis.
Virginia will also have help from an impressive recruiting class, most notably including freshman Maria Min — who is a three-time Canadian National Champion. She will need to have an immediate impact if the Cavaliers hope to reclaim a conference title.
Guide to the men’s team
Virginia’s men’s program has won the MASC conference title in every season since 2017, a trend that they will hope to continue this year. Its schedule almost completely mirrors that of the women’s side, but with differences in opposition strength.
The Cavaliers will be put to the test when they host the No. 2 Bulldogs and No. 1 Pennsylvania in back-to-back contests — both of which were 1-8 losses last season. Performance against those perennial Ivy League powerhouses will shed light on Virginia’s improvement, or lack thereof, from last campaign.
Later in the year, the trip north to face No. 5 Harvard and No. 12 Dartmouth is a chance to gain momentum before the dive into conference play after a winter break. The Cavaliers split the contests last season, losing badly to the Crimson and winning a tight game versus the Big Green.
After graduating some significant talent from last campaign, Virginia will need to see improvement from its veteran pieces to compete this season. Senior Petr Nohel, a native of the Czech Republic, will need to build off his All-MASC Second Team performance. Also returning alongside Nohel is junior JP Tew — whose 15-7 record last campaign earned him a conference first team selection.
But perhaps the most important piece on the Cavalier roster is transfer acquisition graduate Karim Elbarbary. In four seasons at Princeton, he was named a CSA All-American in the past three seasons, and even clinched a conference victory for the Tigers in 2024. His depth of experience on the big stage will be critical in elevating this Virginia squad.
All in all, Cavalier fans should look out for exciting matches this winter at the McArthur Squash Center. Both the women’s and men’s team have the ability to make a deep run on the national stage in a fast-paced and quickly growing sport. Catch both teams in action Saturday at home against Columbia — games are set to start at noon.
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