Women's Squash
From Cairo to Cambridge: Egyptian Squash Stars Lead Harvard to a National Title
Harvard women's squash, winners of seven consecutive CSA national champions, are buoyed by the strength of three players from Egypt. Hailing from a country with a long, rich tradition of squash excellence, Hana Moataz, Habiba Eldafrawy, and Amina Yousry made their impact known on the Crimson.
Individual Brilliance: Squash's Crouin and Moataz Shine Bright in CSA Individual Nationals
With two new College Squash Association (CSA) team national championships already in the trophy case, the Harvard squash program set out this weekend to give players their chances to shine at the CSA Individual Nationals. Victor Crouin ended up winning the Pool Trophy, while Hana Moataz came in second in the Ramsay Cup.
Squish Squash
Harvard women's squash competes against Trinity during the 2018 Howe Cup finals, in which it won its fourth straight national title. This weekend, the Crimson made that streak seven.
Another One: Women's Squash Claims Seventh Consecutive National Title
The Harvard women’s squash team has been on a mission this season to solidify Cambridge, Mass. as the epicenter of squash in the country. And this weekend, it succeeded in doing just that by taking home a national title for the seventh consecutive season.
Crimson Hot: Best in Country, Harvard Women's Squash Clinches 6th Consecutive Ivy League Title
For the past six years, Harvard’s women have dominated the college squash scene in a storm of rackets and rubber balls, winning five consecutive Ivy League titles and nine out of the last eleven College Squash Association (CSA) championships. Sunday afternoon’s showdown marked Harvard’s sixth and final Ivy League match-up this season. More importantly, the game also presented the Crimson with an opportunity to cap off a perfect league record and claim the Ivy League crown for the sixth year in a row.
Champions
Harvard women's squash competes against Yale in a 9-0 sweep on Feb. 9, 2019. Three years later, the Crimson would defeat the Bulldogs again, 7-2, to claim a sixth straight Ivy League title.
Concentration
Harvard Women's Squash participates in a Dec. 1 matchup against Dartmouth, a contest in which the Crimson earned an 8-1 victory. The team has yet to lose this season, and carry the No.1 ranking in the country.
Women's and Men's Squash Teams Cruise Over Amherst and Cornell
Coming off of a big win against No.3 Princeton, Harvard Women’s Squash (11-0, 6-0) earned their No. 1 ranking in a 9-0 sweep against Amherst and a dominant 7-2 victory against Cornell. The victories improved the team’s record to 92-0 in the College Squash Association (CSA). The No.2 Men’s program (10-1, 5-1 Ivy) swept both Cornell and Amherst 9-0, raising its tally of clean sweeps to seven this season.
Squashing the Competition
Harvard women's and men's squash are off to undefeated starts in 2021-22 yet again, bringing the winning streaks to 86 in a row for the women and 38 in a row for the men.
No. 1 and No. 2 Harvard Squashes Dartmouth In Women’s and Men’s Showdowns
The squeak of shoes on hardwood filled the air Wednesday night as No. 1 Harvard women’s squash (3-0, 2-0 Ivy League) faced off against Dartmouth (0-1, 0-1 Ivy League). The Crimson put on an excellent display of skill, seamlessly dismantling its opponents from Hanover 8-1, while the No. 2 Harvard men's squash program (5-0, 2-0 Ivy League) simultaneously took to the courts, securing a 9-0 win against The Big Green (0-1, 0-1 Ivy League).
Women's Squash Team's Sweet Taste of Victory
Amanda Sobhy ’15 and Haley Mendez ’15, back row fourth from the left and back row fifth from the left, respectively, pose after capturing the 2015 National Championship. While not a member of the 2015 squad, and thus not pictured, Sabrina Sobhy ’19 would go on to capture four national championships in her four years with the Crimson.
Life on the Tour: Amanda Sobhy ’15, Haley Mendez ’15, and Sabrina Sobhy ’19 Reflect on Time at Harvard, Pro Squash Careers
Of the top 50 female athletes in professional squash, three are former Crimson stars. Amanda Sobhy ’15, Haley Mendez ’15, and Sabrina Sobhy ’19, ranked fifth, 42nd, and 20th respectively, all played as members of Harvard’s elite squash team before pursuing full-time careers on the Professional Squash Association World Tour.
Podcast: The River Rundown Ep. 3
In Episode 3, we talk with women's squash captains Maddie Chai '20 and Hannah Craig '20 about winning the program's sixth-straight national championship last season, leading a team during a pandemic, and professional squash aspirations.
More than Half of Athletic Teams Pledge to Reach 100 Percent Voter Turnout
More than half of Harvard’s athletics teams have pledged to attain perfect voter turnout in the November elections. Twenty-four teams partnered with Harvard Votes Challenge, a student-led group run through the Institute of Politics that aims to secure 100 percent voter turnout across the University.
Taking Care of Business
Senior Gina Kennedy wrapped up her Harvard career with her third straight undefeated campaign, making her total record at Harvard an astounding 54-2.
A ‘Quiet Warrior’: Gina Kennedy, Female Athlete of the Year
For many athletes, elevated expectations come with crippling performance challenges. But as Harvard squash champion Gina Kennedy went from being one of the top performers in the country to becoming the player to beat in all of women’s college squash, she dazzled under the spotlight.
SIX-PEAT: Women's Squash Wins Sixth Consecutive National Championship
Harvard women's squash defeated No. 2 Princeton to take home the Howe Cup. This marks the sixth consecutive year in which Harvard has won the national championship.
Squashing the Competition
The women's squash team closed out its season with a win over Princeton to take home its sixth-straight national championship.
“Stress with Answers:" Gina Kennedy and Navigating Pressure in Elite Squash
Senior squash co-captain Gina Kennedy commands one of the most demanding schedules on campus between training, school, and matches. In such an individual sport, the veteran star talks performance, teamwork, and the future.
Lucky Number 13
Friday’s win against No. 13 Brown (pictured above) and Sunday’s triumph versus No. 4 Yale would mark the Crimson’s 12th and 13th victories against ranked opponents, helping Harvard to its perfect 13-0 record. Feb. 15 will break the ranked opponent streak for the Crimson as the team squares off with an unranked foe for the first time this season against the Big Red of Cornell.
Women’s Squash Rolls to 79 Straight Wins
After bursting out to a commanding 2-0 lead over her opponent, No. 3 Trinity College’s Nanna Carleke, Harvard junior Hannah Craig fell just short in the third and fourth games. In the decisive fifth game, Craig responded with a dominating showing, overwhelming Carleke with an 11-2 victory to secure the seventh seed matchup for the Crimson. It was one of Harvard’s eight victories in its 8-1 romping of the Bantams on Feb. 5.
Squash Supreme: Both Men and Women are Teams of the Year
Not only did both squash teams meet those expectations, but they smashed them, as both went undefeated and cruised to national championships.