CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia freshman Omar El Torkey (New Cairo, Egypt) and head coach Mark Allen earned top honors from the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference (MASC). El Torkey was named the men’s MASC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, while Allen was named the men’s MASC Coach of the Year. Virginia also had six Cavaliers selected for the all-conference team.
 
El Torkey competed as the Cavaliers’ No. 1 during the Mid-Atlantic Squash Championships, going undefeated in the team’s three-game run for the MASC title. He qualified for the Pool bracket, the A division at the College Squash Association (CSA) Individual Championships, where he advanced to the consolation semifinals. El Torkey concluded his first year at UVA with a 15-1 regular-season record and a 17-4 overall record.
 
Allen coached the men’s team to its best finish in program history as Virginia concluded the season ranked fifth in the country. The Cavaliers won 14 regular-season matches and entered the CSA Team Championships ranked seventh in the national poll. The team earned a spot in the Potter Cup for the first time since becoming a varsity sport in 2017 and won the consolation final over fifth-seeded Rochester. The Cavaliers’ win against the Yellowjackets was the team’s first victory against a top-five ranked team. UVA defeated 14 ranked teams during the year and won its second consecutive Mid-Atlantic Championships Tournament title.
 
Additionally, the Cavaliers had six athletes selected to All-MASC team. Sophomores Emma Jinks (Stratford, Prince Edward Island), Mandy Haywood (Christ Church, Barbados) and Sydney Maxwell (Toronto, Ontario) and freshman Maria Paula Moya (Ambato, Ecuador) were named to the women’s conference team. El Torkey and freshman Aly Hussein (Cairo, Egypt) were the conference honorees from the men’s team.