MEDFORD, MA (November 13, 2024) -- The Tufts University men's and women's squash squad is coming off an exciting season in 2023-24, as the Jumbos finished 12-9 on the men's side while the women's team also posted a 12-win season. The squads both finished as the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) runners-up last year, and that strong finish to the season will give the talented and hungry squad motivation coming into the year.
More motivation will be provided by the preseason College Squash Association coaches poll, which as the Jumbos 13th on the women's and 10th on the men's. The men's squad moved up from the finish of last year's poll, and that respect offered by the rest of coaches is pressure that the men's team will look to live up to. On the women's side, Tufts was ranked in the Top 12 at the end of the year, but has been moved down a spot despite a strong finish and a fantastic incoming group. That will also be motivation in a different way for head coach
Joe Raho's squad.
"On the men's side, nice to be returning a good senior class, good leadership, players that have been playing in the top of the lineup," said Raho. "We bring in a very solid freshmen class, that should help build some depth for our squad. The best part is the vibe on the team, the culture, the way they teach each other and it improves the training."
"We graduated a solid senior class on the women's side, but we bring in a great first-year class...maybe the best that we've ever brought in here," said Raho. "Vharsha still here at Tufts, still playing at the top of the lineup, she's won a lot of matches for us. And again...a wonderful senior class who've also had incredible years. It's just about trying to push into that Top 10, and their leadership has been exceptional."
With both teams, expectations and goals are there but Raho just excited that all of the hard work has continued to be rewarded with strong finishes. "The school, the team, the program is thought of pretty highly now, and it wasn't always like that. We weren't thought of as an elite squash program, and I think that we are now. It's been a massive shift, and I'm just proud to be part of this massive shift of improvement."
Below are team-by-team breakdowns.
Tufts Women's Squash
The Jumbos are coming off a 12-win last year, as they won 54 percent of their matches including dominating the No. 7 through No. 9 spots during the season. That team depth is what Raho thinks will continue to be a strength, as Tufts returns 10 contributors from last year's team.
Junior
Vharsha Dinesh is coming off a 9-7 season in 2023-24, as she played all 16 of her matches at No. 1 for Tufts. Dinesh is slated to play at No. 1 coming into the season, as she has played all 36 matches for the Jumbos as the No. 1.
Senior
Riddhi Joshi picked up six wins for the Jumbos, and has played in the top half of the lineup her entire career and looks to start the season once again in the top four. Sophomore
Maria Arsenieva is back after playing matches in the top five spots of the lineup as a first-year, and she is slated as the Jumbos' No. 3 to start the season. Arsenieva won six matches as a first-year in 2023-24.
Senior
Aleezah Burhan has had a very strong career for the Jumbos, going 13-7 as a sophomore and 9-11 as a junior. Burhan has played mostly at No. 4 and No. 5 during her time, but looks to move back to No. 6 to further strengthen the Jumbos lineup. Fellow senior
Nieve Monderer has tallied 23 wins over the last two years, and her experience at the top and middle parts of the lineup will be vital as she looks ready contribute at No. 7 this season.
Sophomore
Sonya Bajaj has been playing well and looks to start the season at Tufts' No. 8 after playing two matches as a first-year. Sophomore Chloe Bergan played in 14 matches last season, going an impressive 8-3 at No. 9 and will provide depth and cover towards the bottom part of the lineup.
Sophomore
Sora Karanja also played in four matches last season for the Jumbos, and junior
Mafi Pinot was 4-0 last year and has won her last five matches overall. Sophomore
Bridget Schutt also was 2-0 last year in her first campaign with the Jumbos.
The first-year contingent will be an important one for Tufts his season, as four are currently set in or towards the top nine of the ladder for Tufts.
Sohni Vermani, a first-year from Stamford, Connecticut, is a strong incoming newcomer that has been strong in preseason and will play in the top three for the Jumbos.
Classmate
Anika Goyal also has been impressive in the preseason and should slot into the middle of the lineup, while
Indira Moshi,
Mia Kim and
Anika Parr all will be strong assets for the Jumbos in their first season at Tufts.
Tufts Men's Squash
The Tufts men's squash team will look to replace the huge contributions of a strong senior class, highlighted by
Harry Charlton who played No. 1 for the majority of her career. Charlton posted 10 wins a season ago, while Tufts also graduated
Sanjeev Jeyabalan,
Sam Charlton and
Krish Shah.
Luckily though for the Jumbos, Tufts does return 10 players that had extensive action last year for the Jumbos. As with the women's team, Tufts was dominant at the No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 positions last season, winning over 66 percent at all three spots. That depth looks like it will once again be a strength, thanks to another strong recruiting class for the Jumbos.
Sophomore
Aarav Gilll finished 9-5 last year as a first-year playing mostly at No. 8, but he has been tasked early in the season as playing at the No. 1 spot and the coaching staff is excited about his progression. Classmate
Nachiket Desai played mostly at No. 5 as a first-year, but he has also been pushed up the lineup to No. 2 to start the year as the Jumbos start the season. Desai was 7-9 overall last year.
Senior captain
Kerwin Teh played 15 of his matches last season at No. 1 as a junior, but will move down to the No. 4 spot which should strengthen the middle part of the lineup. Kerwin was 8-12 in 2023-24, and went 9-8 as a sophomore at the No. 3 spot.
Rohan Valia is back after having a very strong season in 2023-24, finishing second on the team with 11 wins, playing mostly at No. 7 last season. Valia looks to move up into the No. 5 position this season.
Jared Chin is also back after he tied for the team lead in wins a year ago with 12, as Chin was 11-6 combined at No. 5 and No. 6. He looks to settle back into his No. 6 spot to start the year, while
Shivin Kumar is a strong bet for a top nine spot in the lineup.
Sophomore
Emerson Wang was 9-6 last season playing anywhere from No. 4 to No. 10, and he will be another strong asset for Tufts throughout the bottom half of the lineup.
Tufts also returns strong contributors in sophomore
Rohan Bhatia who was 2-1 as a sophomore, and senior
Youssef Ezzo who posted an 8-6 mark at the No. 4 spot. Sophomore
Rutva Samant also posted a team-high 12 wins as a first-year and is back as well after going 5-0 in the No. 7 position in 2023-24.
Mustafa Ayaz also returns as a junior after going 1-0 a season ago.
The newcomers should contribute immediately for the Jumbos, led by first-year
Santiago Medina Carrillo. Carrillo, a Pan Am Games participant and a Mexican national champion, looks like a good bet to play towards the top of the lineup as a first-year. Classmate
Ali Tarek is a strong recruit out of squash hotbed Egypt, and
Milo Friedman also brings a strong background as well to the squad this season.
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The Jumbos will start their season on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. on the women's side, hosting No. 12 Georgetown University, while the men will take on No. 14 Western Ontario at 5 p.m, inside the Tufts Squash Center.
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