PHILADELPHIA- An exciting start for the University of Pennsylvania women's squash team, as the Quakers swept Chatham and Haverford last Saturday, then knocked off Drexel on Sunday to win the Pennsylvania State Championship. Penn started the year 3-0, its best since the 2018-19 season, and will look to continue the momentum this weekend.

Matches begin on Friday against fourth-ranked Stanford at 3 p.m., with play continuing Saturday when the Quakers host sixth ranked Virginia and 15th ranked Georgetown at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively, at the Penn Squash Center.

How to Watch
Streams for this weekend can be found here:

Stanford
Virginia
Georgetown
 
Previewing Penn
Head coach Jack Wyant enters Year 19 at the helm of the Red and Blue; he led the Quakers to an 8-8 team record and a Kurtz Cup victory at the CSA Championships last season.

The Quakers ended their season last year with five women competing in the CSA Individual Championships, each capping off the year in their respective semifinal matches.

Match History
Friday's meeting will be the 20th between the Quakers and the Cardinal, as Penn holds a 16-3 advantage in the series. The Quakers have won three straight matches against Stanford, with their longest streak spanning 12 matches from the 2008 through 2017 seasons. Last year Penn beat Stanford 6-3 at the Penn Squash Center.

Saturday's meeting will be the sixth all-time between the Quakers and the Cavaliers, as Virginia holds a slim 3-2 series lead. The Cavaliers have won two straight matchups against the Quakers: a 7-2 win last season and a 5-4 win in 2021 both at the Penn Squash Center. Prior to the last two meetings, Penn won its first three battles with Virginia.

Saturday's meeting will be the first overall between the Quakers and the Hoyas. Georgetown is 0-1 to start the young season after losing 9-0 to Virginia on November 4. Last year the Hoyas were 16-10, including a 6-1 record on the road.

The Returners
Seniors Penelope Oh and Avni Anand are this year's captains. Oh finished last season 8-7, tying for second on the team in wins. Anand also served as a team captain last season and finished team competition 6-9, adding two victories during the CSA Individual Championships.

Other notable returners include sophomore Malak Taha, who made her presence known last year playing nine matches all at No.1, earning first-team CSA All-America, Ivy League Rookie of the Year and first-team All-Ivy honors. Junior Grace Lavin looks to pick up where she left off, as she finished the season 10-5 and led the team in victories. The Quakers welcome back junior Emma Carter, who started the season with four 3-0 wins and won both of her matches during the Kurtz Cup. Sophomore Natasha Pensler tied for second on the team in wins (7) and added a win at CSA Individuals last season. Sophomore Jana Dweek finished team competition 6-9 and added a win during CSA Individuals last year.

The Newcomers
The Quakers welcome five freshmen: Sohaila Ismail, Madeline Oh, Ashna Tumuluri, Franka Vidovic and Ishani Wadhwa. They will compete with the returners for a place in the starting IX.

Last Time Out
Penn had a perfect start to the 2022-23 season, taking down Chatham and Haverford 9-0 last Saturday. On Sunday, the Quakers defeated the Drexel Dragons for the first time since 2019 to capture the Pennsylvania State Championships. Eight Quaker women earned two victories between Saturday and Sunday at the Penn Squash Center.