Three Up, Three Down: Penn men's and women's squash vs. Drexel

Penn squash will be entering Wednesday’s matchup with Drexel in the midst of a losing streak. Both the No. 10 men’s and No. 3 women’s squads are now sporting identical 4-2 records after losses to Harvard and Trinity. The Dragons’ No. 15 men’s team (6-7) and No. 14 women’s team (5-6) have historically been pushovers for Penn, but are things about to change? Here’s who’s trending up — and who’s trending down.

Three Up

Chloe Blacker: After missing time due to an injury, the senior co-captain is undefeated individually at 3-0 since her return to the court. She was one of only three players to win individual matches against Trinity. Her position at the bottom of the ladder provides a powerful finish to a strong women’s lineup. As she continues to make her comeback, Blacker is primed for yet another victory at the bottom of the ladder against Drexel.

Freshmen: The two freshmen on the Penn women’s squash roster, Anaka Alankamony and Michelle Wong, have provided phenomenal results thus far for the Quakers and plan to use their winning strategies in the match against Drexel. Alankamony is 2-1 at the top position on the ladder, including a win at Trinity. Wong is undefeated individually at 6-0.

Dragons: Both the Drexel men’s and women’s teams are riding three-game winning streaks over Bucknell, Tufts, and Middlebury. An energized and confident Dragons squad can be expected at Ringe Courts on Wednesday as the Quakers try to end Drexel’s recent success.

Three Down

Momentum: Penn men’s and women’s squash both started the season 4-0. Since then, both teams have lost back-to-back matches against Harvard and Trinity, arguably the two best programs in the nation. In both losses, the men’s squad failed to win a single individual match. The women’s team also lost both matches by identical 6-3 margins. Penn’s momentum has certainly slowed, making a win on Wednesday absolutely critical.

Top of the Ladder: The men’s team has failed to find success at the top of the ladder, with a 1-5 team record at the No. 1 spot and an 0-6 record at the No. 2 spot. Freshman Rahil Fazelbhoy came close to winning at the No. 2 spot against Trinity but fell in a close 3-2 match. Sophomores Tyler Odell and Liam Quinn have also struggled in the early going, with Odell posting a 1-3 record at the No. 1 spot and Quinn posting an 0-3 record at the No. 2 spot. Wins near the top of the ladder against Drexel could provide the team with the spark it needs to get back on top.

History: There is very little history behind Wednesday’s matchup. However, the limited history does favor the Quakers in Wednesday’s matches. On the women’s side, the Red and Blue hold a 1-0 all-time record over the Dragons, with the last meeting being a 9-0 Penn win in December 2012. The men’s team is also 2-0 in the matchup, winning 6-3 and 9-0 in their last two matches against the Dragons.