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    • Undefeated squash teams commence conference play

    The men’s and women’s squash teams, both 7-0, open Ivy League play on Friday at the Penn Squash Center.
    At left, Omar Hafez of the men's squash team; at right Malak Taha of the women's squash team.
    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.

    Credits

  • Writer

    Greg Johnson

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