PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's women's squash team opens the 2023 College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championships Friday afternoon against Bowdoin in the quarterfinals of the Kurtz Cup.
 
Previewing Penn
The Quakers wrapped the regular season 5-8, including victories over #10 Dartmouth, #11 Stanford, and #12 Tufts.
 
Malak Taha was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a First-Team All-Ivy selection on Wednesday after playing all of her matches at the #1 spot in the rotation this season, going 3-3 in conference play, including wins over two fellow first-teamers.
 
Grace Lavin leads the team with seven wins, followed closely by Emma Carter and Penelope Oh with five each; Avni Anand, Jana Dweek, Eujung Park, and Natasha Penseler are among a quintet of players tied with four wins apiece, with Dweek and Penseler each picking up two Ivy League victories in their freshmen seasons.

No. 9 Penn vs. No. 16 Bowdoin – Friday, 3:30 p.m.
Series Information
Records: Penn leads 4-0 | Last Meeting: November 23, 2014 (Penn, 9-0)
 
Previewing the Polar Bears
Bowdon finished the regular season 12-8. The Polar Bears shared five common opponents with the Quakers during the season (Dickinson, Stanford, Tufts, Dartmouth, and Trinity). Penn beat Dickinson, Stanford, Tufts and Dartmouth and lost to Trinity. Bowdoin beat Dickinson and lost to the other four.
 
Sophomore Emma Kate Watts-Roy, sophomore Amanda Cowhey, and freshman Darcy Weber have held down the #1, 2, and 3 spots in the Polar Bear lineup as of late.
 
Kurtz Cup Information
The Kurtz Cup is one of four divisional competitions taking place at CSA Women's Team Championship Weekend, pitting those ranked between #9 and #16 in the final regular season rankings. Each team plays three matches regardless of day-to-day results, with the completed matches serving to reseed each of the eight programs at the end of the year.
 
Should the Quakers defeat Bowdoin on Friday, they would face the winner of Williams and Stanford on Saturday.
 
2023 CSA National Collegiate Women's Team Championships Homepage

2023 CSA Kurtz Cup Draw