PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's squash team (7-5, 3-3) took it down to the wire, but we led by some late heroics, as they defeated #6 Columbia (9-5, 4-2) in a 5-4 thriller on Friday night. The win is the highest ranked opponent to be taken down this year and highest since #4 Stanford on November 16, 2018.
 
On a night where the Quakers celebrated its four graduating seniors, they were locked in a tight battle all evening long, but ultimately picked up by the freshman class. Freshman Amina Abou El Enin got back to her winning ways, delivering an early 3-1 victory, but the Quakers fell into a 3-1 hole early on.
 
Quickly, the Quakers dug out of the hole, thanks to some incredible wins, most notably from freshman Navmi Sharma. After coming up just short following an 0-2 comeback against Yale, Sharma dug herself out of another 0-2 hole, this time defeating her opponent 3-2.  
 
Haley Scott delivered another huge win in five games, putting the Quakers up 4-3, but the Lions recovered to take another five-gamer off Julia Buchholz. Tied at 4-4 and up 2-0, freshman Ashley Manning dropped the third and fourth game to set up a dramatic finish. Manning remained calm under pressure in front of an electric crowd and delivered a clutch 11-9 fifth game win, to seal one of the best wins of the season.
 
 
Results
1. Habiba Mohamed (Columbia) d. Jessica Davis (Penn) – 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8
2. Jamila Abou El Enin (Penn) d. Erica McGillicuddy (Columbia) – 11-5, 12-10, 11-4
3. Nicole Kendall (Columbia) d. Julia Buchholz (Penn) – 5-11, 13-11, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4
4. Ashley Manning (Penn) d. Jui Kalgutkar (Columbia) – 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9
5. Amina Abou El Enin (Penn) d. Ellie McVeigh (Columbia) – 10-12, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6
6. Navmi Sharma (Penn) d. Bunny Fox (Columbia) – 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6
7. Cynthia Cao (Columbia) d. Lindsay Stanley (Penn) – 11-8, 11-6, 11-6
8. Jane Pincus (Columbia) d. Euwie Park (Penn) – 11-5, 11-1, 11-7
9. Haley Scott (Penn) d. Doria Chen (Columbia) – 10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6
 
The Quakers women will conclude the regular season on the road, as they travel to Ithaca, New York for a match against #11 Cornell at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Postseason action will begin for the women on February 21.