The men’s and women’s squash teams, both 7-0, open Ivy League play on Friday at the Penn Squash Center.
Second-year Omar Hafez of the men’s squash team and second-year Malak Taha of the women’s squash team. Both were awarded Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors last season.
(Images: Penn Athletics)
The No. 1-ranked men’s squash team and the No. 4-ranked women’s squash team begin Ivy League play this weekend at the Penn Squash Center. Both teams are 7-0 and are entering the Murderers’ Row portion of their schedule. All of their remaining regular-season games are against the Top 11 teams in the country.
The men’s team has already defeated 6th-ranked Drexel (7-2), 15th-ranked Western University (9-0), 8th-ranked Virginia (8-1), and 11th-ranked Williams College (7-2). On Friday, Jan. 19, at 1:30 p.m., they take on 9th-ranked Cornell, and on Sunday, Jan. 21, they clash with 6th-ranked Columbia in New York City.
Subsequent matchups include contests against 10th-ranked Dartmouth on Jan. 27, 2nd-ranked Harvard on Jan. 28, 3rd-ranked Yale on Feb. 3, 4th-ranked Trinity on Feb. 4, and 5th-ranked Princeton on Feb. 10.
In the past two seasons, the men’s team has only lost one regular season game. In 2021-22, they finished the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record and a No. 1 ranking before falling to No. 2-ranked Harvard 5-4 in the Potter Cup Championship. Last season, they went 15-1 in the regular season, garnered a No. 2 ranking, and advanced to the Potter Cup semifinals, where they lost to 6th-ranked Trinity 5-4.
Second-year Omar Hafez, last season’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year, is 5-0 this season playing in the No. 1 slot. Third-year Nathan Kueh is 1-0 in the No. 1 slot, 3-0 in the No. 2 slot, and 2-0 in the No. 3 slot. First-year Varun Chitturi is 3-0 in the No. 3 slot, 2-0 in the No. 4 spot, and 2-0 in the No. 5 slot. Head Coach Gilly Lane is in his seventh season leading the team.
So far this season, the women’s team has knocked off No. 5 Drexel (6-3), No. 4 Stanford (7-2), No. 8 Virginia (7-2), No. 15 Georgetown (9-0), and No. 14 Williams College (9-0). On Friday, Jan. 19, at 1:30 p.m., they battle No. 9 Cornell, followed by No. 10 Columbia on Sunday, Jan. 21, in New York City.
Their remaining regular-season games are against No. 11 Dartmouth on Jan. 27, No. 1 Harvard on Jan. 28, No. 7 Yale on Feb. 3, No. 2 Trinity on Feb. 4, and No. 3 Princeton on Feb. 10.
The 7-0 start by the women’s team is their best since the 2014-15 season, when they started 7-0, finished 14-3, and lost to Trinity in the semifinals of the Howe Cup. Last season, the Quakers finished 8-8. In 2021-22, they were 9-9.
Second-year Malak Taha, Ivy League Rookie of the Year last season and also a First-Team College Squash Association All-American, is 4-0 playing in the No. 1 slot. First-year Franka Vidovic is 1-0 in the No. 1 slot, 1-0 in the No. 2 slot, and 4-0 in the No. 3 slot. Fourth-year Avni Anand, a co-captain for the second year in a row, is 4-0 playing in the No. 5 slot. Head Coach Jack Wyant is in his 19th year leading the team.
Deepfakes, digital doubles, and the law: Jennifer Rothman on protecting identity in the AI era
The evolution of AI technology may require more robust copyright laws and guardrails that protect people’s control of their own identities, says the Penn Carey Law professor.
Penn buildings achieve LEED certifications, showcasing commitment to sustainability
Three recent building projects at the University of Pennsylvania have earned LEED Platinum, Gold, and Silver certifications, underscoring Penn’s ongoing commitment to sustainable design and construction.
Exposure to air pollution worsens Alzheimer’s disease
New research from Penn Medicine finds living in areas with high concentration of air pollution is associated with increased buildup of amyloid and tau proteins in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, accelerating cognitive decline.
Understanding order to disorder at the atomic scale opens possibilities for next-generation electronic devices
A Penn team has developed insight into the chemical and geometric mechanisms underlying the synthesis of new 2D materials, paving the way for next-gen devices, biomedical applications, and cleaner, quicker energy conversion and storage.
