PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The third-ranked University of Pennsylvania men's squash team defeated sixth-ranked Columbia, 8-1, at the Arlen Specter Squash Center in a Potter Cup quarterfinal Friday afternoon.

With the win, the Quakers move on to the semifinal round and a rematch with the team they tied for the Ivy League title in dramatic fashion on the final day of the regular season, Princeton.

The first wave featured Salman Khalil, Abdelrahman Dweek and Rehan Luthra. Dweek earned the first point of the day for the Quakers with a sweep in 29 minutes at No. 5. In  Khalil's first time playing at No. 2 this season, he extended the lead for Penn with another sweep.

The longest match of the day belonged to Rehan Luthra, as he dropped his first two games and came back to win the next three at No. 8.

Varun Chitturi won a close 13-11 game one, but then dominated the next two games at No. 6 in route to his victory.

After dropping his initial game, Omar Hafez came back to win the next three to grab the fifth point and seal the match for Penn.

Nick Spizzirri, Nathan Kueh and Shaam Gambhir were featured next for the Quakers. Kueh fell in the first game but powered through the next three for the win at No. 4. Spizzirri's match was apprehended after the second game, after leading 2-0 Spizzirri earned the win by default at No. 1.  

Gambhir opened the match with a victory in the first game at No. 9, but fell in the next three, surrendering a point to the Lions.

Dana Santry closed out the day for Penn, and after leading 2-0 at No. 7, he was awarded the win.

Results

1. Nick Spizzirri (Penn) def. Franklyn Smith (Columbia) (Default)
2. Salman Khalil (Penn) def. Harold Castiaux (Columbia) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5
3. Omar Hafez (Penn) def. Shaurya Bawa (Columbia) 6-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-8
4. Nathan Kueh (Penn) def. Laszlo Godde (Columbia) 8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
5. Abdelrahman Dweek (Penn) def. Jacob Bulbulia (Columbia) 11-8, 11-2, 11-7
6. Varun Chitturi (Penn) def. Zach Nam (Columbia) 13-11, 11-2, 11-4
7. Dana Santry (Penn) def. Paarth Ambani (Columbia) (Default)
8. Rehan Luthra (Penn) def. Rutvik Rau (Columbia) 9-11, 12-14, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
9. Adam Goad (Columbia) def. Shaam Gambhir (Penn) 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5

Up Next
Penn wand Princeton will square off at 11 a.m. at the Specter Squash Center. The other semifinal will feature top-seeded Trinity and fifth-seeded Yale, the Bulldogs beating No. 4 Harvard 7-2 and the Bantams edging eighth-seeded Drexel, 5-4.