No. 6 Virginia Tops Yale in Howe Cup Consolation Match

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The No. 6 Virginia women’s squash team bounced back with an 8-1 win over No. 7 Yale (6-8) at the 2025 CSA National Collegiate Squash Team Championships on Saturday (March 8) at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

The Cavaliers (11-6) will play for fifth place in the Howe Cup on Sunday (March 9), taking on No. 4 Stanford at 10:30 a.m.

Stanford won the regular season meeting against the Cavaliers 6-3 on January 13.

Grad students Meagan Best and Maria Moya turned in dominant performances against Yale, winning 3-0 at one and four.

Freshman Claire Pellegrino cruised to a 3-0 victory at nine, improving to 12-1 this season.

Senior Maureen Foley won a hard-fought battle at six, coming through in the fifth game to win 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7.

Virginia’s best-ever finish at the Howe Cup came in 2023 when the team finished fifth.

MATCH NOTES

• The Cavaliers won their third straight against Yale, taking both matches this season
• Sophomore Clare Minnis dropped a marathon opening game 14-12 before cruising to a win at seven. She improves to 12-4 this year
• Junior Lina Tammam lost her first game but took the next three to win 3-1 at two. She improves to 12-3
• Freshman Maria Min dropped a best of three match at three to Spring Ma

#6 Virginia 8, #7 Yale 1

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