PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's women's squash team (8-5, 4-3), prepares to enter its 18th consecutive Howe Cup, drawing the #5 seed and beginning with play on Friday, February 21 at 2:30 p.m. against #4 Trinity. The Quakers are looking to build on last year's 8th place finish.
 
Previewing Penn
The Quakers enter the Howe Cup peaking at the right time, having won three of the last four matches, with the one loss coming in a tight 5-4 decision. Several of the team's players have begun hitting their personal strides, with three players having swept through the last four matches.

At the top of the lineup, sophomore Jamila Abou El Enin is rolling. After starting the season 2-6, Abou El Enin has come roaring back to win her last four matches, dropping just two total games during that span. Freshman Ashley Manning also remains red hot, having won her last four and settling into her role at the top of the lineup entering her first Howe Cup.

The Quakers will match up with Trinity for the second time this season and the second consecutive time in the Howe Cup. In the match this season, freshman Amina Abou El Enin recorded the lone victory in an 8-1 loss, while two other matches went five games. The Quakers will look to ride a wave of momentum into a big opening win at the Howe Cup this year.
 
#5 Penn vs. #4 Trinity – Friday, 2:30 p.m.
Series Information
Records: Penn leads 39-19 | Last Meeting: January 18, 2020 (Trinity, 8-1)
 
Previewing the Bantams
After starting the season 9-0, the Bantams have had an uncharacteristically bumpy end to the season, going a respectable 5-3, but dropping matches to Harvard, Yale and most recently Princeton. Despite the losses, the Bantams remain a formidable opponent and are searching for their third Howe Cup title in program history and first national title since the 2013-14 season. The top half of the Bantams lineup remains one of the strongest in the nation, led by junior Min Jie Teh, who has gone 11-3 and spent most of the season at No. 1 in the lineup, as well as senior Vanessa Raj, who has gone a perfect 12-0 and is just two wins away from 60 in her Trinity career.
 
Howe Cup Information
The Howe Cup serves as the premier event in women's collegiate squash, with the top eight teams competing for a national championship. Each team plays three matches regardless of results, with the completed matches serving to reseed each of the eight programs at the end of the year. Should the Quakers win the opening match, they would face the winner of #1 Harvard and #8 Columbia. Should they lose, the Quakers will play the loser of the match.