New year, perfect start.
Over the weekend, Penn men’s and women’s squash burst out of an eight-month hiatus with a blistering start, playing four matches each in just three days. Across the busy road trip and slate of early-season tests, both squads set out to extend last year’s dominance — and they did not disappoint. Both teams went an unblemished 4-0 against their opponents last weekend, but the women's team also took home the Pennsylvania State Championship. On the men's side, the Quakers kept their perfect streak from last season alive by going undefeated in their last 27 matches.
The action kicked off on Friday in Haverford, Pa., where the men’s and women’s teams faced Haverford in their first games of the season. On the men’s side, which is No. 1 in the nation, the team thoroughly dominated Haverford and was relentless in its pursuit. The women’s team, which is No. 3 in the nation, had the same result as it swept through Haverford.
Big Day for the Newcomers
A big talk in the offseason was Penn squash’s ability to recruit transfers and high-level freshmen who were ready to contribute right away. This depth on both the men’s and women’s side couldn’t be more evident over the weekend, where five women and four men won their first matches for the Red and Blue.
Freshmen Paolo Lincou, Charlotte Oh, Nitza Kahlon, and Sasha Bauhs notched their first wins for the women, as well as newcomer junior transfer Anne Leakey. On the men’s side, freshmen Henry Fogel, Phillip Dartnell, Will Newman, and sophomore Gregory Malsang won. It was quite the day for the Quakers – not only did they sweep, but no player even dropped a single set.
“It was a great start to the season and good to finally play other teams,” men’s squash coach Gilly Lane wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “We have been training for awhile, and it was great to see all of the freshmen and Gregory Malsang, who transferred from St. Lawrence, get their first wins of for the program.”
Sunday’s Doubleheader
In Sunday’s doubleheader, the women's team could not be stopped en route to the Pennsylvania State Championship. The Red and Blue defeated their opponents, Chatham and cross-street rival Drexel, without dropping a single set. Notably, sophomore Savannah Ingeldew recorded a rare statistical win against Chatham’s Sarah Secco – not dropping even a single point in her matches with a perfect sweep of 11-0, 11-0, 11-0.
Looking Ahead
It’s no secret that other colleges know Penn is the upper echelon of squash. There’s no secret why both the men's and women's teams are ranked in the top three in the nation, but they both face tough tests this week, with the men facing No. 6 Virginia and the women facing No. 4 Stanford.
“We have a big test coming up this weekend against a strong UVA team," Lane wrote. "We are looking forward to the challenge.”
But from top to bottom, Penn has all the pieces in place in the early season showdown and hopes their dominance over this past weekend as a fortuitous sign to come.
