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#8 Women's squash is preparing for their big matchups this weekend.

January 31, 2025

Squash Teams Record Multiple Semi-Final Performances at CSA Individual Championship

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The No. 9 men’s (5-4, 1-3 Ivy) and No. 8 women’s squash (5-4, 1-3 Ivy) teams competed at the College Squash Association individual championship on Jan. 26 through Jan. 27.. Both teams are 5-4 on the season, with the boys entering the tournament on a four-game losing streak and the girls on a two-game losing streak.   

Senior Shreemann Raghavan was the lone Cornell competitor left in the tournament after the opening day with a victory over Connecticut College’s Alejandra Moncada Gonzalez in the Molly North Bracket. Raghavan ousted Gonzalez by a margin of two points during the first game, taking the match 12-10.  Despite losing the second 11-13, Raghavan rebounded, winning two back-to-back games 11-8 and 11-5 to advance to the semi-finals. He said support from his team and preparation throughout propelled him forward in the tournament. 

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work on and off the court, focusing on our fitness and match strategy,” Raghavan said. “I felt confident with my movement and shot selection, which helped me control the pace of my matches. The energy from the team was also a big factor. We were all locked in and pushing each other to perform at our best.”

Raghavan faced Harvard’s Jacob Lin, the No. 1 seed in the Molloy North Bracket in his semi-final match. Losing the first game, 11-6, Raghavan put up two solid games, 11-7 and 11-6 respectively, finishing with a 2-1 series lead. However, Lin rebounded, winning the fourth and fifth games 11-8 and 11-5 respectively. 

Raghavan said despite the loss, he remains optimistic about the rest of the season. 

“We need to stay consistent, especially in high-pressure situations, and sharpen our ability to adapt mid-match,” Raghavan said. “Squash is a mental game as much as a physical one, so keeping our focus and intensity throughout the season will be crucial.” 

Sophomore Xin Ying Yee won two matches on the tournament’s first day, advancing to the quarter-finals of the Ramsey Cup Bracket while Junior Alysa Ali advanced to the semifinals of the Halloran West bracket with a bye in the first round. Yee’s first round went to four games against Drexel’s Moa Bonnemark — who she had defeated two weeks prior. 

A strong start for Yee saw her up 11-6 and 11-8 going into the third round. Despite losing the third 7-11, she sealed victory with an 11-4 game. She routed University of Pennsylvania’s (10-1, 3-0 Ivy) Sohalia Ismail 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 in the following round. Yee said strong belief was the deciding factor in her dominant play. 

“Early on in the tournament, I think I did a good job of staying composed and sticking to my game plan,” Yee said. “Having confidence in my game and staying mentally sharp helped me put together those two wins against strong opponents.”

While Alysa Ali lost in the semifinals to Virginia’s Maryam Mian, Yee defeated Yale’s (3-4, 1-3 Ivy) Heng Wei Wong in straight games 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 to advance in the Ramsay Cup bracket. Yee lost in straight games to No. 4 Princeton’s (7-0, 3-0 Ivy) Zeina Zein 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 in the following round. The CSA tournament was a comeback tournament for Yee who was returning from injury. 

Yee said she was proud of her result and is especially optimistic for the rest of the team’s season.

“Coming back from injury, I’ve been more intentional with my preparation, both physically and mentally, and that’s helped me perform at a high level,” Yee said. “As a team, we need to keep pushing each other, staying focused on the details and bringing intensity to every match. If we maintain that mindset, we’ll be in a strong position for the rest of the season.”

The men’s team started the season off strong with a 5-0 record, defeating Tufts University (6-6) 7-2, Amherst University (8-3) 9-0 and No. 11 Dartmouth College 3-6 (0-4 Ivy League). However, in its past four games, the team has only won five individual matches, losing to Harvard (5-3, 3-1 Ivy), Princeton (7-0, 3-0 Ivy), Drexel (6-4) and the University of Pennsylvania (13-0, 3-0 Ivy).  

“We wanted to go into [these matches] with the mindset that we were going to lose, but that they were never going to get an easy point from us,” Bicknell said. “[This mindset] allowed us to keep the matches long and competitive.”

In their game against the No. 1 ranked squash team in the country, the University of Pennsylvania, the Red was off to a slow start with all nine of the starting roster players losing the first game. Freshman Roman Bicknell was the only member of the team to win a game, leveling the match at one game all with an 11-9 second game victory against Varun Chitturi. Despite his effort, Chitturi finished the match with 11-5 and 11-4 third and fourth game wins. Bicknell said his tenacity on the court allowed him to prolong the match. 

“Fighting for every point got [my opponent] tired and frustrated which led to many errors, especially in the second game,” Bicknell said. “Unfortunately a streak of errors led him back into the game [and cost me] the match.” 

Although starting the game off strong against Princeton’s Katherine Sapinski with an 11-6 first-game win, sophomore Christa Kay lost the preceding three sets 11-4, 11-6, 11-7. She said despite shoulder irritation, she was able to make the match competitive. 

“[We] put up a good fight against Princeton,” Kay said. “The matches were all very close, and considering they are the number two team, we were all very proud of our result. Because of my shoulder, I was trying to hit a softer and more consistent ball and try hard to stay in the rallies.” 

The women’s team entered the tournament with a 5-4 record, losing to No.4 Princeton and No.3 Pennsylvania. 

Both the women’s and men’s teams will play at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut on Feb 1st. at 12 p.m. with coverage of the game available on ESPN+.