Liza Kaufman, Contributing Photographer

The men’s and women’s squash teams (0–0, 0–0 Ivy) concluded their pre-seasons with the Ivy League Scrimmage this past weekend.

The Elis hosted the event at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium’s Brady Squash Center, welcoming the other Ivy League Schools, except Brown, to New Haven. As preparation for the regular season, which will begin on Nov. 17, the scrimmage gave the Elis a chance to scope out the competition. 

Lynn Leong, head coach and Brooks G. Ragen Director of Squash at Yale, explained to the News that the scrimmage offered the team “a valuable testing ground to see where both teams stand.”

Leong worked with both teams ahead of the scrimmage to train them for the high level of competition. 

“We prepared for this weekend by focusing on our mental readiness and taking care of our bodies to perform at our best,” Leong wrote to the News.

On Saturday morning, the women’s team triumphed against Cornell in the quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals against Princeton. However, the women’s team fell to Princeton on Saturday afternoon. Sunday, the women’s team took on Penn in the consolation bracket. 

The men’s team also beat Cornell in the quarterfinals and defeated the Tigers in the semifinals, continuing to the finals against Penn on Sunday morning. 

Per Ivy League rules, the scrimmage results were not released. 

Reflecting on the men’s team’s performance in the scrimmage, captain Maxwell Orr ’25 was proud of the team’s advancement to the finals.

“There were some great results this weekend, and reaching the final for the first time in my time here is definitely a promising start to the season. I am particularly proud of the underclassmen on the team that pulled out some big wins and demonstrated a high level of maturity,” Orr wrote to the News. 

Men’s first years Rohan Gondi ’28 and Rishi Srivastava ’28 put up impressive performances in their first scrimmage at the collegiate level, both going undefeated (3–0) in their matches against Cornell, Princeton and Penn. 

On the women’s team, first years Heng Wai Wong ’28, Spring Ma ’28 and Meha Shah ’28 “displayed great resilience and competitive spirit. They all brought an exciting energy and fight to the court,” Leong said.

The men’s team enters the 2024-25 season, having finished third nationally in the CSA Team Championship for the last several years and with a pre-season ranking of #2 in the Ivy League; the women’s team is ranked No. 7.

Leong wrote to the News that her primary goals for the teams this season are working hard to maintain their positions and advance further in the Ivy League and CSA Team Championship.

“Both teams aim to secure a top 4 position this season. With our men’s national preseason ranking at No. 2, we’re focused on maintaining our position while striving to give ourselves a shot at reaching the national championships finals and strongly contending for the Ivy League title. On the women’s side, with a preseason ranking at No. 7, we’re focused on progressing steadily, moving forward as the season unfolds. We recognize the hard work ahead and are committed to staying on track, focusing on our process and continuous improvement throughout the season.”

Echoing Leong, Orr looks forward to a competitive final season with the team. 

“My hope for this team is to have no regrets after the season. We want to be thoughtful in our approach day in and day out, and if we do the little things right, I am confident that we’ll have a successful year.”

As captain, Orr is excited to welcome the newcomers and encourage returning teammates on and off the court. 

“The appeal of college squash is the high pressure moments when the outcome of the match is up in the air — I’m excited to support my teammates in those settings and hopefully play in a few myself.” 

Although the teams will have competition in the Ivy League, Orr’s main goal for the team is consistency, especially when facing Trinity College, whom the Bulldogs fell to in the 2024 CSA Team Championship. 

The teams now prepare to take on UVA in their first regular season match. 

“The Ivy scrimmage has been instrumental as a preview and gauge, providing us with insights on areas to fine-tune for our UVA match. Our training has been productive, and as we move forward, we’re focusing on managing our training load effectively while dedicating time to analyzing gameplay and refining our strategic approach,” Leong wrote to the News. 

Hosting many matches this season at the Brady Squash Center, Orr is excited for fans to enjoy the unique, close-up experience of watching squash, where fans are in on the action. 

“Anyone watching is immediately outside of the court and can really impact the feel of the match,” Orr wrote to the News. 

Mihnea Udroiu ’28 could feel the excited energy Orr described when watching the scrimmage on Saturday.

“Even though it was a scrimmage, they were very concentrated … everybody was taking it seriously,” Udroiu told the News. 

The Bulldogs will begin their regular season, playing UVA on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Charlottesville, VA.