PHILADELPHIA - In a neutral-site matchup with No. 24 Chatham (3-3) at the Penn Squash Center on Saturday afternoon, the No. 29 Haverford College women's squash team (3-2) impressed in a 5-4 victory, with the fifth through ninth slots on the ladder all coming up big for wins against the Cougars. Haverford staked its claim for the overall match win as the two sides went game-for-game before Haverford eventually pulled forward for the decisive fifth victory in a spirited battle. The triumph is the highest-ranked win for the Haverford program since at least the 2015-16 season when opponent ranking information was more readily compiled. 

Lyvia Yan was a winner over Taniya Nored in a four-game battle at the fifth flight (11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-3) while Amelia Stevens (11-2, 11-3, 11-4) and Emilia Zegers (11-2, 11-5, 11-3) each dispatched their opponents via sweep at the sixth and seventh flights, respectively. Aman Hamdard (11-0, 11-3, 11-5) was also a winner via sweep, and Maya Johnson-Fraidin allowed just 12 total points to Farzeen Shaikh (11-4, 11-2, 11-6) in a key victory for the Fords. 

Haverford fell at the top four flights, with strong opponents from the Cougars taking wins. Ariana Solecki was locked in a battle at the top flight (11-8, 11-4, 11-6), with Basmala Sayed Ahmed eventually pulling to the victory. Vasundhra Vasanthan took down Catherine Fortin (11-4, 11-4, 11-2) at the second flight, and Caroline Smith (11-8, 3-11, 11-2, 11-1) stole a game from Sofia Pinto Combita at the third flight. Valentina Della-Madalena was a straight-game winner over Emi Krishnamurthy at the fourth flight (11-5, 11-6, 11-3). 

The Fords were facing off with Chatham for the second consecutive season, after a 7-2 victory over the Cougars a season ago at the Lancaster Country Day School. Della-Maddalena was the only Chatham player to reprise a victory from last season, as Solecki, Fortin, and Krishnamurthy all repeated victories from last year's win for Haverford. 

Women's Squash now faces a quick turnaround as they will face off with Denison on Sunday, December 4 at Dickinson's Kline Center. The matchup with the Big Red is slated for an 11 a.m. first serve.