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Captains WSQ

BACK-TO-BACK! Trinity Women's Squash Claim 2025 CSA National Championship

| By: DeVaux

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The top-ranked Trinity College Women's Squash team held their ground at the top, securing a 5-4 victory over #2 Harvard in the College Squash Association Championships to claim the 2025 CSA Women's Squash National Title for the second consecutive year.

Entering the CSA Championship bracket with a first-round bye, Trinity earned the #1 seed in the national rankings with a stellar 17-1 record heading into the tournament.

In the quarterfinals on Friday, March 7th, at 11:00 AM, the Bantams faced #8 Cornell University. Trinity dominated, with junior Hannah Chukwu, junior Kara Lincou, senior Janna El Ashmawy, junior Fabiola Cabello, and sophomore Varvara Esina each recording 3-0 clean sweep victories. Seniors Malak Mustafa at the #1 spot, Noa Romero at #3, and Lulu Palacios Benitez also contributed with 3-1 wins to lead Trinity past Cornell.

Quarterfinals: #1 Trinity 8 def. #8 Cornell 1

  • No. 1: Malak Kamal def. Xin Ying Yee, 11-3, 3-11, 11-6, 11-7
  • No. 2: Aishwarya Khubchandani def. Jana Safy, 8-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-7
  • No. 3: Noa Romero def. Alysa Ali, 11-5, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8
  • No. 4: Hannah Chukwu def. Christa Kay, 11-7, 11-3, 11-0
  • No. 5: Kara Lincou def. Maya Voloshin, 11-8, 11-1, 11-9
  • No. 6: Lujan Palacios def. Sabine Ball, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 11-3
  • No. 7: Janna Ashmawy def. Saniya Jaggi, 11-7, 11-3, 11-0
  • No. 8: Fabiola Cabello def. Devon Shatzman, 13-11, 11-7, 11-5
  • No. 9: Varvara Esina def. Kacey Mollenkopf, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5

In Saturday's semifinals, Trinity faced #5 University of Pennsylvania. The Bantams swept their opponents 9-0, with Mustafa and Lincou each pulling out gritty 3-2 victories. Safy, Romero, Cabello, and Esina all won 3-1, further solidifying Trinity's dominance.

Semifinals: #1 Trinity 9, #5 UPenn 0

  • Malak Ashraf Kamal (T) def. Malak Khafagy (P), 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7)
  • Jana Safy (T) def. Franka Vidovic (P), 3-1 (12-10, 11-3, 7-11, 11-4)
  • Noa Romero (T) def. Sohaila Ismail (P), 3-1 (3-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-0)
  • Hannah Chukwu (T) def. Savannah Ingledew (P), 3-0 (11-0, 11-5, 11-7)
  • Kara Lincou (T) def. Malak Taha (P), 3-2 (10-12, 11-13, 11-1, 11-5, 11-4)
  • Lujan Palacios (T) def. Allie Stoddard (P), 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-4)
  • Janna Ashmawy (T) def. Hailey Wong (P), 3-0 (12-10, 12-10, 11-7)
  • Fabiola Cabello (T) def. Yoshna Singh (P), 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-0)
  • Varvara Esina (T) def. Natasha Pensler (P), 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7)

The Championship match was a thrilling test of resolve as the Bantams found themselves trailing 3-2 in matches, with Palacios Benitez, El Ashmawy, and Lincou still on court. Trinity's senior captain, El Ashmawy, stepped up to deliver a crucial 3-0 sweep, tying the match at 3-3. El Ashmawy completed her senior season undefeated, finishing with an 18-0 individual record and a remarkable 70-4 career mark at Trinity, where she held the #1 national ranking in her final season.

Palacios Benitez entered her match in the fourth game trailing 2-1. After an intense back-and-forth in the fourth game, the senior pulled away with an 11-6 win to force a fifth game. In the final game, Palacios Benitez, with nearly an hour of play behind her, surged ahead to claim an 11-8 victory, clinching Trinity's fourth match win with a 3-2 triumph over Harvard's Molly Stoltz.

The match was then tied 4-4 following a 3-1 Harvard victory in the #1 spot, leaving the Championship to be decided in the decisive #5 match. Trinity's junior Kara Lincou and Harvard's Ocean Ma faced off, with the weight of the Championship on their shoulders.

Lincou started strong, taking the first game 12-10 in a tightly contested battle. She carried the momentum into the second game, winning 11-7 to take a 2-0 lead. In the final game, Lincou showed composure under pressure, playing a smart, tactical game and finishing with an 11-8 win to clinch the 2025 CSA Championship for Trinity.

National Championship: #1 Trinity 5, #2 Harvard 4

  • 1: Saran Nghiem def. Malak Ashraf Kamal (TRI), 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9)
  • 2: Caroline Fouts def. Jana Safy (TRI), 3-1 (11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4)
  • 3: Lucie Stefanoni def. Noa Romero (TRI), 3-2 (7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6)
  • 4: Hannah Chukwu (TRI) def. Habiba Eldafrawy, 3-2 (7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4)
  • 5: Kara Lincou (TRI) def. Ocean Ma, 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-8)
  • 6: Lujan Palacios (TRI) def. Molly Stoltz, 3-2 (11-9, 13-15, 2-11, 11-6, 11-8)
  • 7: Janna Ashmawy (TRI) def. Amira Singh, 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-8)
  • 8: Brecon Welch def. Fabiola Cabello (TRI), 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6)
  • 9: Varvara Esina (TRI) def. Emma Carney, 3-1 (11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 11-7)

Order of Finish: 8, 3, 4, 9, 2, 7, 6, 1, 5

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