No. 9 Virginia Falls to No. 7 Columbia, 5-4
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 9 Virginia women’s squash team (8-4) suffered a 5-4 loss to No. 7 Columbia (8-4) on Sunday (Jan. 26) at the McArthur Squash Center. The match against the Lions was the final home competition for the Cavaliers, who will play their final four matches on the road.
Freshman Grace Seymour (Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.) recorded the first point with an 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 win against Doria Chen in position eight.
Columbia followed with a win in position five but sophomore Emma Jinks (Stratford, Prince Edward Island) went 12-10, 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9 against Habiba Mohamed at the top of the order to keep the Cavaliers in the lead.
Virginia suffered losses in their next four matches, dropping positions four, nine, seven and three, respectively, as the Lions clinched the win.
Freshman Julia Curran (Bronxville, N.Y.) and sophomore Mandy Haywood (Christ Church, Barbados) rounded out the day with wins in positions six and two, respectively. Curran defeated Ellie McVeigh 12-10, 11-3, 11-6, while Haywood topped Erica McGillicuddy 14-12, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8.
“‘The women were so close today, coming within just a couple of points of taking the match against the seventh ranked team in the country,” head coach Mark Allen said. “It wasn’t quite the breakthrough win and final result we were hoping for, but we are right there, going point-for-point with one of the very best squash programs in college squash, and I have no doubt that the win we are after is about to come!”
Virginia will return to action to face top ranked and defending national champion, Harvard, on Jan. 31. The match is set for 5 p.m. in Boston.
No. 7 Columbia def. No. 9 Virginia 5-4
Order of Finish (8, 5, 1, 4, 9, 7, 3, 6, 2)
1 | Emma Jinks (UVA) def. Habiba Mohamed (COL) 12-10, 6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9
2 | Mandy Haywood (UVA) def. Erica McGillicuddy (COL) 14-12, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8
3 | Nicole Kendall (COL) def. Maria Paula Moya (UVA) 11-2, 11-7, 11-8
4 | Jui Kalgutkar (COL) def. Sydney Maxwell (UVA) 11-5, 7-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9
5 | Bunny Fox (COL) def. Emily Woodworth (UVA) 7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9
6 | Julia Curran (UVA) def. Ellie McVeigh (COL) 12-10, 11-3, 11-6
7 | Cynthia Cao (COL) def. Julia Thompson (UVA) 11-3, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9
8 | Grace Seymour (UVA) def. Doria Chen (COL) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6
9 | Jan Pincus (COL) def. Tara Arya (UVA) 11-8, 13-11, 11-4
Exh | Caroline Baldwin (UVA) def. Julia Masch (COL) 13-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4