MEDFORD, MA (February 16, 2023) -- The Tufts University women's squash team, currently ranked No. 11 by the College Squash Association, will take part in the Kurtz Division Cup this weekend at the 2023 National Collegiate Women's Team Squash Championships, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.
Championship Details:
2023 College Squash Association Championships - Kurtz Cup
Dates: Friday, February 17 - Sunday, February 19
Location: Philadelphia, PA – University of Pennsylvania - (
Directions)
Coverage:
TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
The Jumbos take on William Smith College in the opening round Friday, February 17 at 12:30 p.m., as Tufts will play either Amherst College or Dartmouth College in the second round on Saturday. The University of Pennsylvania, Bowdoin College, Williams College and Stanford University are on the other side of the bracket, and Tufts will play one of those four squads on Sunday.
The Jumbos are coming off last year's tournament when they knocked off Williams College in the opening round 6-3, before falling to Cornell University 8-1 and Brown University 5-4. Last weekend, Tufts finished as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) runner-up, falling to No. 1 Trinity College 9-0 in the title match.
The Jumbos have relied on their depth through the lineup this year, as seven players have double-digit victories in 2022-23. Sanjana Visapragada leads the team with a 13-4 record, going 12-3 at No. 6 this season while
Aleezah Burhan has been dominant at No. 5 with a 9-2 record while posting a 12-5 mark overall.
Ellyn Xu has won eight of her last 10 matches en route to a 12-5 record this season, and
Caroline Chin is 11-6 overall while going 8-3 at No. 3 this season. The Jumbos have gotten a very strong 75.6 win percentage at No. 6 this year, while winning over 70 percent of their matches at No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 on the season.
William Smith has won 12 straight matches coming into this weekend, having earned the Liberty League title after defeating St. Lawrence 9-0 last week. The Herons are 17-2 this season, with their only losses coming to No. 16 Bowdoin College 5-4 and No. 13 Cornell University 9-0. WSC is 7-1 this season against NESCAC opponents, though William Smith has not played anyone higher than No. 13 in the CSA rankings. In contrast, Tufts has played five matches against Top 10 teams.
The Herons are led by Anna O'Connor, who has gone an impressive 18-1 on the year while playing No. 3 through No. 7. Jada Smith-Padmore has added 15 wins including going 8-1 at No. 6, while Rafaela Albuja Sanchez is 16-2 at No. 1 on the year. Marce Marquez Martinez is also 16-3 on the year, playing mostly at No. 3, while Laila Selim is 13-4 at No. 2 while posting 14 total victories.
William Smith has won 75 percent of their matches this season, but 16 of their 42 losses have come at the bottom two spots in the lineup.
--JUMBOS--
