Princeton University Athletics
Sunday, March 3
Philadelphia, Pa.
2:30 PM
Princeton University
2
vs
6
Trinity (Finals)
Photo by: Kevin Birch
Women's Squash Team Finishes National Runner-Up
March 03, 2024 | Women's Squash
Making its first appearance in the CSA Howe Cup final since 2020, the Princeton women's squash team finished national runner-up on Sunday, coming up one match short of its first national title since 2009 as Trinity won its first since 2014, 6-2 at the Specter Center in Philadelphia.
A day earlier, Princeton, ranked No. 3 in the nation entering the event, dethroned eight-time defending national champion and No. 2-ranked Harvard in Saturday's semifinal, and although the Tigers held a 2-1 lead after the first wave of matches, No. 1 Trinity, the last team other than Harvard to win the title, turned the tide in the second wave of matches and kept it up in the third wave to clinch.
Trinity took the first match off court with Madeleine Hyland defeating Charlotte Bell in three games at fourth position, but Princeton answered with Molly Chadwick's win at seventh position in three games and followed that with Zeina Zein stopping a comeback attempt at first position after holding a 2-0 lead and winning in four.
Princeton won the first game in two of the three matches in the second wave, with Liyen Teoh at second and Sonya Sasson at eighth taking 1-0 leads, but Jana Safy and Lujan Palacios took those matches in four. At fifth position, Katherine Glaser battled back to tie at 1-1 and 2-2, but a long fifth game went to Kara Lincou as Trinity took a 4-2 lead into the final wave of matches.
At sixth position, Hannah Chukwu provided the clincher for Trinity, defeating India Stephenson in three games moments before Nouran Youssef won at third position in three games to put Trinity ahead 6-2. With the clinch in hand for Trinity, Caroline Spahr's match at ninth position went unfinished, with Spahr winning the first two games before opponent Janna Ashmawy won the third game and held a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
The Tigers finish the season at 12-3 with two-thirds of its lineup able to return, led by the team's three All-Ivy honorees from the season in Zein, Teoh and Trauber, with Glaser, Stephenson and Spahr among the team's seniors.
Zeina Zein (P) def. Malak Ashraf Kamal (T), 3-1 (11-4, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6)
Jana Safy (T) def. Liyen Teoh (P), 3-1 (11-13, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4)
Nouran Youssef (T) def. Emma Trauber (P), 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-7)
Madeleine Hyland (T) def. Charlotte Bell (P), 3-0 (11-3, 11-1, 11-6)
Kara Lincou (T) def. Katherine Glaser (P), 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12)
Hannah Chukwu (T) def. India Stephenson (P), 3-0 (11-7, 13-11, 11-6)
Molly Chadwick (P) def. Fabiola Cabello (T), 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-4)
Sonya Sasson (P) def. Lujan Palacios (T), 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-5)
Caroline Spahr (P) vs. Janna Ashmawy (T), unfinished (11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 3-5)
A day earlier, Princeton, ranked No. 3 in the nation entering the event, dethroned eight-time defending national champion and No. 2-ranked Harvard in Saturday's semifinal, and although the Tigers held a 2-1 lead after the first wave of matches, No. 1 Trinity, the last team other than Harvard to win the title, turned the tide in the second wave of matches and kept it up in the third wave to clinch.
Trinity took the first match off court with Madeleine Hyland defeating Charlotte Bell in three games at fourth position, but Princeton answered with Molly Chadwick's win at seventh position in three games and followed that with Zeina Zein stopping a comeback attempt at first position after holding a 2-0 lead and winning in four.
Princeton won the first game in two of the three matches in the second wave, with Liyen Teoh at second and Sonya Sasson at eighth taking 1-0 leads, but Jana Safy and Lujan Palacios took those matches in four. At fifth position, Katherine Glaser battled back to tie at 1-1 and 2-2, but a long fifth game went to Kara Lincou as Trinity took a 4-2 lead into the final wave of matches.
At sixth position, Hannah Chukwu provided the clincher for Trinity, defeating India Stephenson in three games moments before Nouran Youssef won at third position in three games to put Trinity ahead 6-2. With the clinch in hand for Trinity, Caroline Spahr's match at ninth position went unfinished, with Spahr winning the first two games before opponent Janna Ashmawy won the third game and held a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
The Tigers finish the season at 12-3 with two-thirds of its lineup able to return, led by the team's three All-Ivy honorees from the season in Zein, Teoh and Trauber, with Glaser, Stephenson and Spahr among the team's seniors.
Zeina Zein (P) def. Malak Ashraf Kamal (T), 3-1 (11-4, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6)
Jana Safy (T) def. Liyen Teoh (P), 3-1 (11-13, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4)
Nouran Youssef (T) def. Emma Trauber (P), 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-7)
Madeleine Hyland (T) def. Charlotte Bell (P), 3-0 (11-3, 11-1, 11-6)
Kara Lincou (T) def. Katherine Glaser (P), 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12)
Hannah Chukwu (T) def. India Stephenson (P), 3-0 (11-7, 13-11, 11-6)
Molly Chadwick (P) def. Fabiola Cabello (T), 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-4)
Sonya Sasson (P) def. Lujan Palacios (T), 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-5)
Caroline Spahr (P) vs. Janna Ashmawy (T), unfinished (11-5, 11-7, 6-11, 3-5)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
/ Women's Squash
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