No. 5 Virginia Tops No. 8 Cornell 5-4

PHILADELPHIA – The No. 5 Virginia women’s squash team (3-2) closed out its weekend road trip with a 5-4 victory against No. 8 Cornell (2-1) on Sunday (Nov. 21) in a neutral-site match at the Penn Squash Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

Senior Caroline Baldwin captured the victory for the Cavaliers with a three-game win at position six.

Senior Emma Jinks opened the match with a 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-9 victory against Anaya Dabke at position four. After the Big Red tied it up, sophomore Olivia Walsh puched the Cavaliers back into the lead, 2-1, with a 11-4, 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9 win against Wen Li Lai at two. After Cornell again tied the match, Maria Moya put UVA ahead with a 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 against Selena Georgieva at three. Cornell won the next two completed matches at five and one to take a 4-3 lead. Freshman Maureen Foley won 11-4, 11-8, 11-6 at nine to tie it 4-4. Baldwin closed out an 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 win against Alexis Shatzman to give the Cavaliers the victory.

FROM ASSISTANT COACH GRANT WHITE
“There are matches that you end up remembering for the rest of your life—and today’s win over Cornell is going to be one of those for me personally. After four exceptional performances to start the season, I don’t know what to say to adequately praise this fifth one. I’m running out of words to describe just how proud I am of these players. Today’s match featured a whole season’s worth of highs and lows and the way every athlete on court maintained her composure and found a way to pour even more heart into the game under all of that pressure was absolutely phenomenal. Each of our five wins deserves its own quote from me. But one player I have to single out was not among these. Sydney Maxwell has put her blood, sweat, and tears into this team from day one. And, Sydney, if you’re reading this, I’ll say it one more time. You deserved that win, and even though it eluded you, you took a step forward today. Finally: To our two captains Caroline Baldwin and Emma Jinks. Both are leading this team to new heights and doing it leading by example. Emma was 3 for 3 this weekend literally throwing herself around the court to notch up the victories, and for the second time this season, Caroline put the team on her back and carried us across the finish line with a truly fierce brand of squash. What a great weekend and now after two tough away weekend we get to  look forward to 5 matches played at home at The McArthur Squash Center, starting with Darrmouth on December 3rd.”

NOTES

• Both Sydney Maxwell’s match at five and Erin O’Connor’s match at seven were decided by a 12-10 score in the fifth game
• Emma Jinks went 3-0 in her matches this weekend
• Maureen Foley had the deciding victory in Friday night’s win at Penn and the match-tying win today against Cornell. She is 3-1 this season at the No. 9 position
• Annabelle MacTaggart won her exhibition match 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5
• This was UVA’s fifth-straight match against an Ivy League opponent

ON THE HORIZON

• Virginia takes a break for the Thanksgiving holiday before heading back to Charlottesville for its home opener, with the men’s and women’s teams hosting Dartmouth on Friday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. at the McArthur Squash Center

#5 Virginia 5, #8 Cornell 4

1 | S Subramaniam (CORNELL) def. Meagan Best (W_UVA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-6
2 | Olivia Walsh (W_UVA) def. Wen Li Lai (CORNELL) 11-4, 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9
3 | Maria Paula Moya (W_UVA) def. Selena Georgieva (CORNELL) 11-6, 11-9, 11-7
4 | Emma Jinks (W_UVA) def. Ananya Dabke (CORNELL) 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-9
5 | Lily Zelov (CORNELL) def. Sydney Maxwell (W_UVA) 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 12-10
6 | Caroline Baldwin (W_UVA) def. Alexis Shatzman (CORNELL) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8
7 | McKenna Stoltz (CORNELL) def. Erin O’Connor (W_UVA) 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10
8 | Ania LaDow (CORNELL) def. Mandy Haywood (W_UVA) 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8
9 | Maureen Foley (W_UVA) def. Kacey Mollenkopf (CORNELL) 11-4, 11-8, 11-6
Exh. Annabelle MacTaggart (W_UVA) def. Mia Krishnamurthy (CORNELL) 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5