Women's Squash Primed for CSA Team Championships

Maddie Hager

Posted: Feb 21, 2019

HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's squash team (8-5) travels to Hartford, Conn. this weekend for the College Squash Association (CVSA) Women's National Team Championships. The event is hosted by Trinity College beginning on Friday and continuing through Sunday.

Haverford is ranked as the No. 26 team in the nation entering the postseason, and is slated to compete in the Epps Cup, the CSA's "D Division". The Epps Cup grouping features the teams ranked from 25th to 32nd in the penultimate national rankings. In total, 43 programs will be competing in five divisions over three days of action at two sites, Trinity and nearby Wesleyan University.

Haverford is competing in the D Division for the second straight campaign. The Fords have two division titles in program history, capturing the "E" Division in both 2012-13 and 2013-14. Last year, the Fords fell in the consolation final of the Epps Cup, and will be looking to take another step forward with a favorable draw. With one more victory, Haverford will ensure a winning season. The Fords jetted out to a 5-1 start to begin the year, the best six-match stretch to begin a season in program history.

The Epps Cup features No. 25 Colby, the No. 26 Fords, No. 27 William Smith, No. 28 Connecticut College, No. 29 Boston College, No. 30 Georgetown, No. 31 Bucknell, and No. 32 Northeastern.The Fords will battle with Bucknell in a quarterfinal match tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Haverford welcomed the Bison to the GIAC Squash Courts on February 2, taking a 6-3 final while taking control of the all-time series with Bucknell. Haverford is 4-3 all-time against the Bison dating back to the initial matchup in 2013.

The Fords have not faced off with any other Epps Cup team this season. The squad dropped a 6-3 decision to Connecticut College in last season's CSA Team Championship quarterfinals, while posting regular season wins that year over Georgetown and Boston College. Haverford also fell to Colby in the 2018 Pioneer Valley Invitational. The Fords last played Northeastern in 2017, falling to the Huskies at a neutral site in Cambridge, Mass., and have not done battle with William Smith since a Pioneer Valley Invitational loss in 2016.

Kaitlin Reese has played at the top flight for Haverford this season, as the co-captain has compiled a 9-4 individual record and has 30 career wins in less than two full seasons on campus.

Maddie Hager (10-3), Sunny Chai (9-4), Isabelle Johnson (6-3) and Urgyen Wangmo (7-3) have also had standout seasons competing mainly in the top half of the ladder for the Fords.

Live streaming of select courts throughout the weekend and live scores for all of the action are available via the CSA website here.