This past weekend, the McArthur Squash Center at Boar’s Head Sports Club hosted the Mid-Atlantic Championships for both the men’s and women’s squash teams. Both teams went undefeated in the tournament, sending them into the top 10 leading into the Virginia Home Round Robin this weekend.
No. 9 Virginia men’s squash
No. 9 Virginia Men’s Squash (14-5) started off their weekend on Feb. 1 against No. 19 MIT
(13-6), who came to Charlottesville with eight wins in their previous 10 matches. However, despite the absence of No. 1 freshman Patrick McElroy from the lineup, the Virginia men were able to hold their own, stopping MIT’s six game win streak with a 5-4 victory thanks to convincing wins by freshman Glenn Yates and senior Grayson Bubrosky.
The following day, Virginia faced No. 25 Dickinson College (3-11), whose previous match with the Cavaliers in January was cancelled due to snow. Once again, freshman Will Holey struggled to fill in for McElroy in the number one spot, but Cavaliers in spots two through nine were all able to defeat their respective opponents, giving Virginia a 8-1 victory.
That same day, the Cavalier men then moved on to face No. 16 George Washington University (9-12), a team they previously defeated 6-3 on Jan. 23 in Charlottesville. Nevertheless, the Colonials put up a fight and took the number one and number two spots, with the Cavaliers still hurt by the continued absence of McElroy. However, the Virginia men showed their depth in the three through nine spots, with another win by number six player Yates helping the Cavaliers defeat George Washington 5-4.
The Virginia men capped off the Mid-Atlantic Championships with a match against No. 15 Franklin and Marshall (12-5), a team the Cavaliers defeated in a 5-4 nail-biter the weekend before. This match proved to be no different. The Diplomats took the first two spots, but Yates’ fourth-straight win in the tournament — and additional wins by senior Grayson Bubrosky and sophomore Toby Hansford — carried the Cavaliers to victory once more.
“I think today was the ninth 5-4 match we have had this season, and that just goes to show how much grit and determination this team has,” Coach Mark Allen said.
This determination should serve the Cavaliers well as they near the CSA Men’s National Championships come mid-February.
However, before heading to New Haven, Conn. for the National Championships, the Virginia men will first face No. 31 Bucknell (6-4) at home on Feb. 9.
No. 9 Virginia women’s squash
No. 9 Virginia women’s squash (14-6) — after losing to No. 4 Yale (9-3) the weekend before — looked to bounce back coming into their first Mid-Atlantic Championship matchup against No. 20 Franklin and Marshall (5-10), who the Cavaliers previously defeated 9-0 the weekend before. The Cavalier women continued their dominance of the Diplomats with another resounding 9-0 victory that featured zero sets dropped by the Virginia women.
The story was no different for Virginia’s match against No. 18 Dickinson College (6-7), who came to Charlottesville on a five-game losing streak. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, their losing streak was extended, as the Cavaliers won 9-0 while only dropping two sets across the nine matches.
The Virginia women finished their Mid-Atlantic Championship on Feb. 3 with a match against No. 15 George Washington University (4-12), who they previously beat 7-2 on Jan. 23 in Charlottesville. Despite losses by No. 1 player freshman Emma Jinks, and No. 3 player junior Tara Arya, the Cavaliers defeated the Colonials 7-2 behind strong victories by freshmen Mandy Haywood and Caroline Baldwin.
“With each win they are growing in confidence and we hope to keep this momentum going through to nationals,” Allen said.
The Cavaliers head to Hartford, Conn., on Feb. 22 for the CSA Women’s National Team Championships.
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