Men’s and women’s squash tally victories, beating ranked teams

Both of Columbia’s squash teams made dramatic strides as varsity programs this weekend, sweeping the competition at the Pioneer Valley Invitational. The No. 27 nationally ranked men’s team won all four of its matches—including a 5-4 win over No. 22 Wesleyan to conclude the event. With the sweep, the men’s team should be ranked in the low 20s when the next standings are released.
The women’s team also continued its stellar 2010-2011 campaign. After concluding the fall season with emphatic wins over then No. 16 George Washington University and then No. 27 Georgetown, the team put forth an even more impressive performance this weekend. Columbia (7-1) convincingly defeated a string of high-ranked teams, the highlight being a 6-3 victory over No. 13 Mount Holyoke.
Women’s squash head coach Kelsey Engman expects her team to be ranked No. 14 in the nation while Mount Holyoke’s ranking will drop below Columbia’s.
Engman said of the team’s performance, “Every single player on the team played well and we were thrilled with the result.”
Following the weekend wins, both the men’s and the women’s squash teams will head to upstate New York to compete against Vassar and Northeastern on Jan. 29.