It was a weekend of clinical accuracy for Virginia squash as both the men's and women's teams showcased why they remain fixed in the nation's top tier. The No. 5 Cavalier men (10-3, 0-0, ACC) traveled to Annapolis, Md. for a neutral faceoff against the No. 19 Western Ontario (2-6, 0-0, OUA), where they executed a flawless 9-0 sweep. The next day, the No. 6 Virginia women (9-3, 0-0, ACC) came out on top over No. 15 Georgetown (4-6, 0-0, Big East) with a 7-2 victory in Washington, D.C.
Men vs. Western Ontario
The Cavalier men entered the Friday game versus the Mustangs looking to bounce back from a loss against No. 7 Drexel and split results at the CSA Individual Championships in January. And they did more than just win — they held firm control from the opening serve.
The 9-0 score reflects a level of depth that this squad has been able to find — of the nine matches, eight of them were decided in straight games. Virginia junior Dylan Moran set the tone at the No. 1 position, navigating a tight opening game against Western Ontario's freshman Rohan Paliwal, ultimately walking away with an 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 victory. This was Moran's 10th win of the season and provided veteran stability at the top of the ladder for the rest of the team.
The only moment of sustained drama was in the No. 6 position, where Cavalier sophomore Ewan Harris faced a resilient Mustang senior Eesa Huq. After dropping the first game, 8-11, Harris adjusted to rattle off three straight games — at 11-3, 11-9, and 11-5 — to preserve the clean slate.
Women vs. Georgetown
On Saturday, the Virginia women traveled to the nation's capital to face a Georgetown team that was hungry to break an 0-7 historical drought against the Cavaliers — but Virginia had no interest in being part of a milestone moment for the Hoyas.
The Cavaliers secured a 4-0 lead, anchored by a strong performance from freshman Charlotte Pastel in the No. 1 position. Pastel dismantled Georgetown sophomore Cecilia Curran 11-5, 11-3, 11-1, her strong play leaving her opponent searching for answers.
While the Hoyas were able to pick up points at the No. 2 and No. 9 spots, the overall outcome was rarely in doubt. Virginia sophomore Maryam Mian provided a clinching blow at the No. 5 position in a tactical battle against Georgetown junior Mary Kacergis — Mian dropped the second game but responded with back-to-back wins to secure the team victory. Mian now shares the team lead in victories with Cavalier senior Lina Tammam, each boasting eight.
The win moves Virginia to 2-0 in MASC play and maintains their perfect 8-0 all-time record against the Hoyas, with the depth of the freshman class continuing to provide a high floor for a team that has national championship aspirations.
This weekend was the Cavaliers’ final practice before the stakes increase — Virginia will return home to the McArthur Squash Center to host the MASC Conference Championships from Feb. 13-15.
Playing on their home courts gives both squads an extra boost for what are already expected to be deep runs, but the road through the conference is not yet secured. If this weekend said anything about Virginia squash, it is not just ready for the postseason, but eager for it.
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