Nationals final test for women’s squash

When Columbia ventures down to Princeton this weekend for the Women’s Nationals, the team will have a more optimistic outlook than when the team visited earlier in the season.

Back in November, Columbia had yet to play a match as an official varsity team. It was not clear where the Lions stood relative to other top programs, though women’s squash head coach Kelsey Engman confidently predicted back in November that the team would improve from its No. 25 ranking. However, when the team made its first journey to Princeton, there was an uncertain cloud of uncertainty hovering over the team.

Now, after a 12-3 regular season, the No. 14 ranked Columbia squad will have a chance to cap off a spectacular inaugural season.

Last year at Nationals, Columbia competed in the Epps Cup (D Division) and ended up winning the round-robin as the top seed in that bracket. This year, Columbia will play in the Kurtz Cup (B Division) which will include the No. 9 through No. 16 seeds.

No. 9 Brown is the only other Ivy that will be in Columbia’s bracket. Other schools competing in the Kurtz Cup round-robin include No. 10 Middlebury, which defeated Columbia 7-2; No. 11 Williams; No. 12 Bates, which defeated Columbia 7-2; No. 13 Amherst; No. 15 Mount Holyoke, which Columbia beat 6-3; and No. 16 George Washington, which fell to the Lions 6-3.

The round-robin will be single elimination format and will last from Feb. 18 to Feb. 20.