There are only a handful of certainties in life: death, taxes, and Penn Squash’s dominance over its Pennsylvania rivals.
In a packed opening weekend, No. 1 Penn men’s and No. 3 women’s squash got off to hot starts, finishing the weekend undefeated.
Both teams opened up their schedules against a trio of Pennsylvanian schools in Franklin & Marshall, Haverford, and Drexel. The men's team was able to cruise to a 9-0 sweep over both No. 13 Franklin & Marshall and Haverford while dropping just one game to Drexel. The women's team saw similar success, with 9-0 sweeps of No. 24 Franklin & Marshall and Haverford as well, dropping two games to Drexel.
Convincing wins over Dickinson and Chatham at the Penn Squash Center on Sunday wrapped up the eventful weekend where both teams enjoyed two separate 9-0 sweeps over their opponents, with each improving to a 5-0 record, respectively. With these victories, the Red and Blue earned the men’s and women’s Pennsylvania State Championship titles.
Men’s squash began its Sunday by defeating Dickinson early in the morning. All nine athletes swept their respective opponents three games to zero. Among the many standout performances, senior Oliver Green stood out. Green barely gave his opponent a sliver of hope, winning each game 11-2, 11-1, and 11-2. Senior Nathan Kueh also dominated, limiting his opponent to only seven total points across all three games.
The fun continued into the afternoon as the Quakers rotated some of their squad to take on Chatham. Green, as well as senior Shaam Gaambihr, freshman Rustin Wiser, and sophomores Ben Mathias and Kyle Penman played against both Dickinson and Chatham. Sophomore Salman Khalil led the way for the Red and Blue, beating his opponent in each of the three games 11-3, 11-1, and 11-3.
The story is quite similar for women’s squash. Senior Emma Carter limited Dickinson’s Thea Hedge to only five points across three games. Freshman Hailey Wong also wrapped her match in only three games. After a statement win against Franklin & Marshall earlier in the season, Wong has looked to string together consistent performances. If her fast-paced start to her Penn career gives any indication of what’s to come, coach Jack Wyant will have reason to be optimistic.
The Quakers finished the day with another sweep against Chatham. Sophomores Ashna Tumuluri and Ishani Wadhwa won again after successfully beating their respective Dickinson opponents earlier in the day. Senior Yoshna Singh won her games 11-9, 11-4, and 11-6, respectively. Some other matchups were a lot tighter. Sophomore Madeline Oh came out on top over Chatham’s TaNiya Nored in a five-game thriller. After overcoming this formidable challenge, Oh and her teammates will look to continue their momentum against out-of-state opponents.
Women’s squash will take on Georgetown this Friday in Washington before traveling to Charlottesville, Va. for a match against UVA. Men’s squash will also face the Cavaliers on Saturday in what should be a testing matchup for the Quakers.
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