Squash: Cavaliers split Sunday matinee matches against Yale

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 6 Virginia women’s squash team closed out the weekend with an 8-1 victory against No. 7 Yale, while the men’s team suffered a 7-2 loss to the second-ranked Bulldogs on Sunday at the McArthur Squash Center.

The women’s team’s top five all battled to win their matches 3-2. Graduate student Meagan Best came back from 0-2 to win at one, sealing the win against Heng Wai Wong with an 11-4 victory in the fifth game.

Junior Lina Tammam, freshman Maria Min, and freshman Maryam Mian each rallied from 1-2 deficits to close out victories in the fifth game at two, three, and four.

Senior Maureen Foley also won in five games, coming through with an 11-9 win in the fifth game against Meha Shah at five.

Junior Nina Hashmi and freshman Claire Pellegrino both cruised to 3-0 victories at seven and eight.

“This team showed the sort of heart and fortitude that I’ve rarely seen equaled by any UVA squad I’ve coached,” said assistant coach Grant White. “The will to win was so evident in every match and the scoreline shows that very clearly. Not only did we take five of the top six matches in five games, but we did so in come-from-behind fashion, showing superb effort, willpower, and stamina.”

NO. 6 VIRGINIA 8, NO. 7 YALE 1

1 | Meagan Best (VA) def. Heng Wai Wong (YALE) 7-11, 1-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4
2 | Lina Tammam (VA) def. Christy Tin Yan Lau (YALE) 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7
3 | Maria Min (VA) def. Spring Ma (YALE) 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6
4 | Maryam Mian (VA) def. Meghna Sreedhar (YALE) 11-2, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 13-11
5 | Maureen Foley (VA) def. Meha Shah (YALE) 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-9
6 | Whitney Taylor (YALE) def. Clare Minnis (VA) 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4
7 | Nina Hashmi (VA) def. Rashi Goverdhanam (YALE) 11-7, 14-12, 11-1
8 | Claire Pellegrino (VA) def. Lindsay Westerfield (YALE) 11-4, 11-6, 11-2
9 | Caroline Pellegrino (VA) def. Nina Mital (YALE) 11-2, 11-5, 1-11, 11-3

On the men’s side, Junior JP Tew and sophomore Dylan Moran picked up the points for the Cavaliers.

Moran won a marathon first game 14-12 en route to a 14-12, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 win at four. Tew won 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-3) against Maxwell Orr at two.

Graduate student Karim Elbarbary, freshman Nathan Rosenzweig, and senior CJ Baldini each battled in hard-fought matches before being edged in five games.

“Today was a case of so close, and yet still so far,” said head coach Mark Allen. “No doubt we have the skill and physicality to win at this level [against a top 2 ranked team], but we need more grit and a greater degree of self-belief to be capable of winning a national championship. We are close though, for sure.”

NO. 2 YALE 7, NO. 6 VIRGINIA 2

1 | Ted Carney (YALE) def. Karim Elbarbary  (CU) 8-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-4, 11-7
2 | JP Tew (VA) def. Maxwell Orr (YALE) 11-9, 11-8, 11-3
3 | Arav Bhagwati (YALE) def. Maxwell Velazquez (VA) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6
4 | Dylan Moran (VA) def. Max Forster (YALE) 14-12, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5
5 | Lachlan Sutton (YALE) def. Petr Nohel (VA) 9-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
6 | Rohan Gondi (YALE) def. Nathan Rosenzweig (VA) 8-11, 9-11, 11-1, 11-3, 11-2
7 | Rishi Srivastava (YALE) def. Ewan Harris (VA) 11-6, 4-11, 11-2, 11-3
8 | Merritt Wurts (YALE) def. Evan Hajek (VA) 11-2, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9
9 | Jack O’Flynn (YALE) def. CJ Baldini (VA) 7-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3
10 | Bennett Eun (YALE) def. Charles Braff (VA) 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers’ women’s and men’s teams are back at McArthur next Saturday to take on Penn, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The Quakers are ranked No. 1 in the men’s rankings and No. 3 in the women’s rankings.