No. 7 Virginia Tops No. 8 Cornell 5-4 on Senior Day

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 7 Virginia women’s squash team (12-4) closed out the regular season with a 5-4 win against No. 8 Cornell (8-9) on Sunday (Feb. 18) at the McArthur Squash Center in Charlottesville, Va.

Virginia jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Big Red won four straight matches to tie it 4-4. Sophomore Nina Hashmi won the deciding match in five games.

Junior Eliza Mills put the Cavaliers on the board with a 3-1 win at seven.

Senior Oliva Walsh made it 2-0 with a 3-2 win at three. Walsh rebounded from dropping her first game 11-3 by winning the next two but was edged 11-9 in the fourth to force a fifth game. She won the decider 11-7 to give UVA a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Clare Minnis played a tight match at five. She was edged 13-11 in the first game before taking her second 14-12. She then cruised to a pair of 11-5 wins to put UVA ahead 3-0.

Senior Meagan Best tallied an 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 win at the top of the ladder to make it 4-0.

Cornell then picked up wins at positions two, four, eight and nine to tie the match just as Hashmi’s contest at six was beginning. Hashmi trailed 2-1 but came back to win two tight, back-and-forth games, both by 11-8 scores, to give the Cavaliers the victory.

FROM HEAD COACH MARK ALLEN

“We went up 4-0 today and looked to be cruising to victory thanks to some great wins from Liv, Clare, Eliza, and Meg. But we always have huge battles with Cornell, and this turned out to be no different, with a gritty comeback from them. With the match at four-all, all eyes were on second-year Nina Hashmi, and it was a very telling moment for her. Despite going down 2-1, she stayed calm and, most importantly, positive and trusted her attacking instincts right when they were most needed.

“It was great to be able to send off our four seniors, Olivia, Meagan, Griffin, and Erin, with a win in their last home match of the season. Now on to Nationals!”

UP NEXT

• The 2024 CSA National Collegiate Team Championships are being held Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 29-March 3, at the Arlen Specter Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

#7 Virginia 5, #8 Cornell 4

1. Meagan Best (VA) def. Wen Li Lai (COR) 11-5, 11-3, 11-8
2. A. Khubchandani (COR) def. Lina Tammam (VA) 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
3. Olivia Walsh (VA) def. Ananya Dabke (COR) 3-11, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7
4. Alysa Ali (COR) def. Maureen Foley (VA) 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6
5. Clare Minnis (VA) def. Christa Kay (COR) 11-13, 14-12, 11-5, 11-5
6. Nina Hashmi (VA) def. Devon Shatzman (COR) 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 11-8
7. Eliza Mills (VA) def. Ania LaDow (COR) 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6
8. Maya Voloshin (COR) def. Nili Sprecher (VA) 12-10, 11-8, 13-11
9. Saniya Jaggi (COR) def. Griffin Dewey (VA) 12-10, 11-1, 11-3
10. Exh. Annabelle MacTaggart (VA) def. Kacey Mollenkopf (COR) 12-10, 11-2, 11-3