Virginia men’s and women’s squash were back in action over the weekend at home in the McArthur Squash Center. The No. 6 women’s team (3-1, 0-0 MASC) was defeated by No. 2 Pennsylvania but handedly defeated No. 25 Chatham in a sweep. Similarly, the No. 6 men’s team (2-2, 0-0 MASC) fell to the No. 1 Quakers and swept the No. 21 Cougars.
Women’s game 1 — Virginia 2, Pennsylvania 7
Although the Cavaliers put up a fight against No. 2 Pennsylvania (7-0, 0-0 Ivy League) Saturday, the Quakers started strong and did not look back en route to a lopsided victory. Positions one through five ended in Pennsylvania victories, making the rest of the games a formality.
Sophomore Clare Minnis, playing from the sixth position, won her match in four games, improving to 2-1 on the season. Additionally, freshman Claire Pellegrino was victorious, adding to the undefeated start to her collegiate career. Younger members of the squad will need to keep contributing in the lower positions for Virginia to make a splash this season.
Graduate Meagan Best, freshman Maryam Mian and junior Nina Hashmi all avoided sweeps Saturday in hard-fought losses at the first, fourth and seventh positions, respectively.
Men’s game 1 — Virginia 1, Pennsylvania 8
The Cavaliers were beaten soundly by No. 1 Quakers (6-0, 0-0 Ivy League) Saturday. Virginia’s only match victory came in the eighth position, where freshman Ewan Harris won in four games. Harris has been an early bright spot for the Cavaliers, earning an impressive 2-1 record in his first three matches on the college circuit.
Saturday was a tale of missed opportunities on Virginia’s part, as both matches that went the five-set distance ended in defeat. Freshman Juan Jose Torres Lara, who was playing in the third position, took a 2-1 lead after three games, only being defeated in a 16-14 shootout that required extra play to determine the winner. Torres Lara would go on to lose two in a row, preventing a change in momentum.
Similarly, freshman Nathan Rosenzweig tasted defeat in five games and junior JP Tew lost in four after being tied at the halfway point. The Cavaliers will need to be much more clinical in the future if they want a chance at beating college squash’s perennial elite.
Women’s game 2 — Virginia 6, Chatham 0
Virginia was utterly dominant Sunday against the No. 25 Cougars (1-5, 0-0 UCHC). Every single match was a sweep for the Cavaliers, and no Chatham player was able to eclipse six points in any given game. The contest was limited to six matches due to the Cougars’ limited roster.
Virginia standouts included freshman Maria Min, who played from the first position, and Mian, who moved up from her usual fourth spot to the second spot — which did not slow her down.
Assistant Coach Grant White emphasized the lopsided victory, praising the team for not losing their focus.
“This group of players has come through with extraordinary poise,” White said. Today’s win over Chatham was another mark of their focus, as there is always a danger that the combination of fatigue and the approach of the holiday season might leave us a bit distracted.”
Men’s game 2 — Virginia 9, Chatham 0
The men’s side was also commanding in their victory against the No. 21 Cougars (2-4, 0-0 UCHC). Most of the Cavaliers secured their wins in a sweep.
Tew was perhaps the most impressive for Virginia, moving up to the first position and earning an assertive victory. With the win, he moves to 3-1 on the season and has cemented himself as one of the Cavaliers’ best. Additionally, senior Charles Braff was triumphant in his first appearance of the season.
The men’s team will look to use Sunday’s contest as an opportunity to build momentum and get back on track after having to face the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country in the previous two outings. Confidence will be key going into next week’s matchup and further on when conference play rolls around.
On the women’s side, Virginia will hope to put the disappointment of Saturday’s loss behind them, but they should also remain confident and optimistic, as the game against the No. 2 team in the nation was a hard-fought one.
Both the men and women will be back in action next weekend, travelling to face Harvard Saturday and Dartmouth Sunday. The first contest is set to begin at 5 p.m. and the second at 2 p.m.
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