New Haven, Conn. - The University of Pennsylvania men's and women's squash teams split a pair of matches to open up its weekend in Connecticut.

The top-ranked men's team downed fifth-ranked Yale, 7-2, while the third-ranked women's team fell 6-3, to seventh-ranked Yale.

The Quaker men move to 12-0, while the women lost their second in a row and sit at 10-2.

The first wave of men featured Nick Spizzirri, Varun Chitturi and Roger Baddour. Spizzirri went point-for-point with his opponent, and came out on top in game one 17-15, and used his momentum to take the next two at No. 3. 

Chitturi dropped games one and four, but outlasted Lachlan Sutton in a five-game thriller at No. 6. Baddour's match lasted for 33 minutes, but he ultimately fell in three games at No. 7. 

The following wave was highlighted by Rehan Luthra, Omar Hafez and Abdelrahman Dweek. The Bulldogs were able to tie the match 2-2, after Tad Carney defeated Dweek in three games and 44 minutes at No. 5. 

Luthra swung the momentum back in Penn's favor with another five-game win, competing in the longest match of the day at one hour and 11 minutes at No. 9. Hafez completed a comeback down two games, to win the next three and extend the Quaker's lead 4-2 at No. 2. 

The final set of men featured Nathan Kueh, Dana Santry and Salman Khalil. Kueh clinched the match for the men with a win in four games. Although Kueh dropped the opening game, he was able to win three straight at No.4 to seal the deal.

Khalil dominated games one and two at No. 1 to conclude his match in 36 minutes. Santry was the final finisher of the day for the men with another match that lasted five games. Santry won the opening game, but fell in the next two, winning game four to force a deciding game five. In a battle at No.8, Santry picked up the win in an hour.

As for the women, Avni Anand, Emma Wolf and Grace Lavin were the first to see the court. Although Wolf earned a win in game two, she dropped games one, three and four at No.6 to surrender a point to the Bulldogs.

Lavin evened the scoring for Penn, when she picked up a win in an exciting five-game match at No. 7. Lavin won games one, four and five, taking the match in 40 minutes. Anand then gave the lead to Penn, with back-to-back wins in matches going the distance. Anand won games two, three and five in 47 minutes at No. 3.

The next slate of women featured Natasha Pensler, Emma Carter and Franka Vidovic. At No. 5, Pensler fell in four games and 31 minutes, which evened the scoring at 2-2. Carter was down two games early in her match, played a tough game three, but fell in game four at No.9, allowing Yale to take back the lead.

Vidovic fought closely in her first two games but was overpowered at No.3 and dropped the match at No. 2.

The final set of women concluded with Ashna Tumuluri, Penelope Oh, and Sohaila Ismail. Tumuluri fell in just 22 minutes and three games at No. 4, which ultimately allowed the Bulldogs to clinch the match.

Oh earned the final victory of the day for the women, in yet another five game tussle. Oh one the opening game, and one games four and five at No.8 to give another point to the Quakers.

The last finish on the women's side belonged to Ismail, who tripped up in the final three games, allowing Elizabeth Rose to come back at No.1.

Men's Results
1. Salman Khalil (P) def. Siow Yee Xian (Y) 11-5, 11-2, 11-7
2. Omar Hafez (P) def. Arav Bhagwati (Y) 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-6
3. Nicholas Spizzirri (P) def. Maxwell Orr (Y) 17-15, 11-8, 11-5
4. Nathan Kueh (P) def. Max Forster (Y) 8-11, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10
5. Tad Carney (Y) def. Abdelrahman Dweek (P) 13-11, 11-7, 12-10
6. Varun Chitturi (P) def. Lachlan Sutton (Y) 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 4-11, 11-6
7. Nikhil Ismail (Y) def. Roger Baddour (P) 11-5, 11-9, 11-6
8. Dana Santry (P) def. Merritt Wurts (Y) 11-3, 12-14, 6-11, 11-2, 11-7
9. Rehan Luthra (P) def. Brian Leonard (Y) 11-8, 7-11, 2-11, 11-8, 11-7 

Women's Results
1. Elisabeth Ross (Y) def. Sohaila Ismail (P) 5-11, 3-11, 11-5, 11-7, 10-12
2. Sneha Sivakumar (Y) def. Franka Vidovic (P) 12-10, 11-8, 11-4
3. Avni Anand (P) def. Christy Tin Yan Lau (Y) 7-11, 11-9, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5
4. Gigi Yeung (Y) def. Ashna Tumuluri (P) 11-7, 11-6, 11-6
5. Mika Bardin (Y) def. Natasha Pensler (P) 8-11, 11-3, 11-2, 11-8
6. Meghna Sreedhar (Y) def. Emma Wolf (P) 11-4, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3
7. Grace Lavin (P) def. Layla Johnson (Y) 11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10
8. Penelope Oh (P) def. Rashi Goverdhanam (Y) 11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6
9. Joy Qu (Y) def. Emma Carter (P) 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9

Up Next
The Quakers will have a quick turnaround, facing Trinity tomorrow in Hartford. The men's match is slated for a 12:00 p.m. start, while the women will begin at 1:00 p.m.