Squash: Hoos come up short in MASC Championship matches

The No. 5 Virginia men’s squash team suffered a 5-4 loss to No. 7 Drexel, while the No. 6 Virginia women’s squash team fell 7-2 to No. 4 Stanford in the finals of the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference Championships on Sunday at the Mayser Squash Courts in Lancaster, Pa.

The men’s title match was tied 4-4, with Drexel (9-4) pulling out a four-game win at eight to clinch the Holley Cup.

The Dragons opened the match with a win at six, but Virginia jumped out to a 2-1 lead with victories from freshman Juan Jose Torres Lara and junior JP Tew.

Drexel tied the match before grad student Karim Elbarbary put the Hoos back up front with a win via retirement at one.

The Dragons retook the lead, but Virginia (8-3) responded again with an 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6 win at nine from senior Petr Nohel to even the match.

Senior Evan Hajek split the first two games with Tavneet Singh Mundra at eight in the final match. Mundra pulled out a narrow third game 12-10 before taking the fourth game to secure the win for Drexel.

In the women’s bracket, the Cavaliers (8-4) advanced out of Group 2 after defeating Dickinson and Georgetown but fell to the Cardinal (8-2) in the Gaynor Cup final for the second straight year.

Junior Lina Tammam and freshman Claire Pellegrino earned the points for Virginia. Tammam won 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 against Madison Ho at two. Pellegrino rallied to win 11-13, 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 at seven.

ADDITIONAL NOTES — MEN

• Virginia fell in the Holley Cup final to Drexel for the second straight year
• Juan Jose Torres Lara won his seventh straight match, improving to 8-1 on the season

ADDITIONAL NOTES — WOMEN

• The Cavaliers advanced to the Gaynor Cup final for the fifth time
• Claire Pellegrino improves to an undefeated 8-0 on the season
• Lina Tammam improves to 8-2

UP NEXT

Both Virginia squads will be on the road next weekend, with the men’s team taking on No. 9 Cornell on Saturday at noon and No. 14 Rochester on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. The women’s team will take on No. 8 Cornell on Saturday at noon and William Smith on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

MEN’S RESULTS: DREXEL 5, VIRGINIA 4

1. Karim Elbarbary (VA) def. Haris Qasim (DRX) 2-0, retired
2. JP Tew (VA) def. Guido Lindner (DRX) 4-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-4
3. Juan Jose Torres Lara (VA) def. Youssef Bastawy (DRX) 11-8, 8-11, 11-1, 11-5
4. Yuri Pollak Pelbart (DRX) def. Dylan Moran (VA) 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9
5. Charlie Taylor (DRX) def. Max Velazquez (VA) 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
6. Dumitru Goian (DRX) def. Nathan Rosenzweig (VA) 12-10, 11-6, 11-9
7. Sean Murphy (DRX) def. Ewan Harris (VA) 11-9, 11-8, 11-13, 11-7
8. Tavneet Singh Mundra (DRX) def. Evan Hajek (VA) 11-9, 4-11, 12-10, 11-6
9. Petr Nohel (VA) def. Darien Benn (DRX) 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6
Exh. CJ Baldini (VA) def. Shomari Wiltshire (DRX) 11-3, 15-13, 11-6

WOMEN’S RESULTS: STANFORD 7, VIRGINIA 2

1. Riya Navani (STAN) def. Meagan Best (VA) 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4
2. Lina Tammam (VA) def. Madison Ho (STAN) 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
3. Marianna Dardon (STAN) def. Maria Moya (VA) 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-6
4. Amelie Haworth (STAN) def. Maureen Foley (VA) 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6
5. Miriam Cheng (STAN) def. Clare Minnis (VA) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8
6. Yuvna Gupta (STAN) def. Nina Hashmi (VA) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7
7. Claire Pellegrino (VA) def. Tiana Parasrampuria (STAN) 11-13, 11-9, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7
8. Maeve Baker (STAN) def. Eliza Mills (VA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
9. Khushi Kukadia (STAN) def. Caroline Pellegrino (VA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-7
Exh. Valerie Kaitlyn Huang (STAN) def. Nili Sprecher (VA) 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6