You win some and you lose none.
On Sunday, No. 1 Penn men’s squash (16-0, 6-0 Ivy) triumphed over No. 2 Princeton (9-1, 5-1) by a final score of 6-3 in a clash between the two best teams in the nation.
The victory marked the sixth Ivy championship for the men’s team in history and its third in the past four seasons. Speaking of records, the Quakers went undefeated en route to the championship, marking the third time in program history that they went undefeated in regular-season play.
“I am so proud of the group for winning back-to-back Ivy titles,” coach Gilly Lane wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Princeton started out strong in the first shift and I am really proud of how the boys fought to get two wins in the first shift and set the tone for the rest of the day.”
On a day that will be remembered in Philadelphia due to the Eagles securing their second Super Bowl win, Penn also had some hardware to take home. Led by the College Squash Association Individuals champion sophomore Salman Khalil playing out of the first position, the Quakers never looked back in their matchups last weekend. Playing under the mantra of their undefeated record, the Red and Blue imposed their will against their stiffest competition and foe.
“Last year’s loss to [Princeton] left a scar, but I can now say I have healed,” Khalil wrote in a statement to the DP. “Would’ve loved to say the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. But rivals couldn’t put up a battle.”
The Red and Blue got off to a quick start, taking a 2-1 lead after senior Nick Spizzirri and sophomore Varun Chitturi each won their respective matches in four games. Playing out of the second and eighth positions respectively, the duo got off to a promising start.
In the second wave of matches, the Quakers had a choke hold on the championship with straight-set wins by senior Nathan Kueh and junior Omar Hafez. With Penn one win away from the title, it was left up to senior Abdelrahman Dweek’s matchup against Princeton’s Aly Ibrahim. Despite holding a 2-1 lead, Ibrahim stormed back and defeated Dweek 3-2, leaving the Quakers still a win away.
Needing five points to secure the championship, freshman Marwan Abdelsalam took over his game and left no doubt, winning his match in straight sets and securing the Quakers’ victory — continuing a stellar undefeated season. It wasn’t like the Quakers weren’t tested: They played some of the top teams in the country, including Trinity, Yale, and, of course, Princeton.
“Winning [the] Ivy championships is hard, and the group deserves this one because of the work they have put in this year,” Lane wrote. “We are going to enjoy this for a short time and then it is time to focus on Drexel and the nationals coming up [in] the weeks ahead.”
Penn women’s squash also had a very impressive showing on Sunday, notably also defeating Princeton. No. 5 Penn (12-3, 5-1) defeated No. 3 Princeton (9-2, 4-2) in a closely contested match. The Quakers were able to prevail over the Tigers with clutch performances throughout, most notably by senior Yoshna Singh playing out of the seventh position. With Singh’s win, the Red and Blue were able to clinch a victory in the second wave.
The best game of the day came on the main court when sophomore Malak Khafagy almost defeated CSA Individuals champion Zeina Zein of Princeton. Going to a showdown in the third game, Zein outlasted an exhausted Khafagy, who gave everything she had.
Looking ahead, the CSA National Championships will be held just across 33rd Street at the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center at Drexel. Playing again in their home city, Penn’s and Drexel’s squash teams will look to continue their dominant performances.
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