PHILADELPHIA – The third time proved to be the charm for the University of Pennsylvania women's squash team. After losing to Princeton in the regular season (6-3 on February 7) and the Ivy League Tournament final (5-1 on February 22), the second-seeded Quakers downed the top-seeded Tigers when it mattered most—in the final of the Howe Cup. 

With the win, Penn (17-2) wins the national team championship for just the second time, the other coming in 2000. With the exception of 2021 (COVID-19), the Howe Cup has been contested annually since 1973. 

Senior Jana Dweek clinched the match; with the score tied, 4-4, she swept Princeton's Sonya Sasson in straight games at the No. 9 spot to give the Quakers the title. The win, which was completed in 40 minutes, was the senior captain's 28th of her collegiate career.

Penn's other wins came from Malak Khafagy at No. 1, Malak Taha at No. 3, Sohaila Ismail at No. 4, and Savannah Ingledew at No. 8.

Khafagy defeated CSA Individuals winner and first-team All-Ivy selection Zeina Zein in four games, the match between two of the best players in college squash taking 40 minutes. Ismail needed just 26 minutes to sweep her opponent in the four spot to give the Quakers their first lead of the day; the junior finished 3-0 at the CSA Team Championships.

Taha finished off her Quaker career with her 27th win and her 15th of the season, going just more than an hour in gaining the four-game victory. Ingledew was the swing match; she came back from down 2-1 and secured the pivotal fourth point for the Quakers with a 13-11 victory in Game 5. Her match with Princeton's Hermione Cao took an hour and six minutes. That set the stage for Dweek's clinching win.

Final Results 
1 – Malak Khafagy (Pe) def. Zeina Zein (Pr), 3-1 (11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4) 
2 – Alexanda Jaffe (Pr) def. Franka Vidovic (Pe), 3-0 (12-10, 11-4, 12-10) 
3 – Malak Taha (Pe) def. Emma Trauber (Pr), 3-1 (11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 14-12) 
4 – Sohaila Ismail (Pe) def. Charlotte Bell (Pr), 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-5) 
5 – Samantha Jaffe (Pr) def. Allie Stoddard (Pe), 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9) 
6 – Caroline Eielson (Pr) def. Ashna Tumuluri (Pe), 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-7) 
7 – Liyen Tech (Pr) def. Hailey Wong (Pe), 3-1 (11-8, 12-14, 16-14, 11-9) 
8 – Savannah Ingledew (Pe) def. Hermione Cao (Pr), 3-2 (8-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 13-11) 
9 – Jana Dweek (Pe) def. Sonya Sasson (Pr), 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9) 
 

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