No. 6 Virginia Downs No. 7 Yale 8-1

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – The No. 6 Virginia women’s squash team (2-0) closed out the weekend with an 8-1 victory against No. 7 Yale (0-1) on Sunday (Nov. 17) at the McArthur Squash Center in Charlottesville, Va.

Virginia’s top five all battled to win their matches 3-2. Graduate student Meagan Best came back from 0-2 to win at one, sealing the win against Heng Wai Wong with an 11-4 victory in the fifth game.

Junior Lina Tammam, freshman Maria Min, and freshman Maryam Mian each rallied from 1-2 deficits to close out victories in the fifth game at two, three, and four.

Senior Maureen Foley also won in five games, coming through with an 11-9 win in the fifth game against Meha Shah at five.

Junior Nina Hashmi and freshman Claire Pellegrino both cruised to 3-0 victories at seven and eight.

FROM ASSISTANT COACH GRANT WHITE

“In an incredibly hard-fought match, this team showed the sort of heart and fortitude that I’ve rarely seen equaled by any UVA squad I’ve coached. The will to win was so evident in every match and the scoreline shows that very clearly. Not only did we take five of the top six matches in five games, but we did so in come-from-behind fashion, showing superb effort, willpower, and stamina. Every win we posted today was one we earned by virtue of extremely hard work and an embrace of the daily grind each and every day since we got back to Grounds.

Once again, our first years were rock solid, posting key wins for us and helping carry the day. To my mind, though, the most exceptional performances came from a pair of veterans: Meagan Best and Nina Hashmi. Meagan once again showed her indomitable will, erasing an 0-2 deficit to prevail at the top of the order. And Nina has grown so much as a competitor and a squash player in the past year, it was no surprise to see her take a gutsy full distance win. But it did fill all of her coaches with pride and admiration for all that she has done to reach this point.

As a final note, I want to say that the energy and positive support every player showed for her teammates was palpable all across MSC. It was a great environment, a heck of a show, and exactly the stepping stone we needed to bring us into next weekend, when we host the #3-ranked Penn squad here in Charlottesville.”

MATCH NOTES

• Virginia picked up their second straight win against Yale, improving to 2-4 all-time against the Bulldogs
• The Cavaliers won five matches by 3-2 scores

UP NEXT

• The Cavaliers are back at home next Saturday (Nov. 23) to take on No. 3 Penn.

#6 Virginia 8, #7 Yale 1

1 | Meagan Best (VA) def. Heng Wai Wong (YALE) 7-11, 1-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4
2 | Lina Tammam (VA) def. Christy Tin Yan Lau (YALE) 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7
3 | Maria Min (VA) def. Spring Ma (YALE) 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6
4 | Maryam Mian (VA) def. Meghna Sreedhar (YALE) 11-2, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 13-11
5 | Maureen Foley (VA) def. Meha Shah (YALE) 11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-9
6 | Whitney Taylor (YALE) def. Clare Minnis (VA) 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-4
7 | Nina Hashmi (VA) def. Rashi Goverdhanam (YALE) 11-7, 14-12, 11-1
8 | Claire Pellegrino (VA) def. Lindsay Westerfield (YALE) 11-4, 11-6, 11-2
9 | Caroline Pellegrino (VA) def. Nina Mital (YALE) 11-2, 11-5, 1-11, 11-3