PALO ALTO, Calif. — The No. 5 Trinity College women's squash team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 5–4 to No. 3 Stanford University on Wednesday afternoon. The Bantams move to 5–1 overall, while the Cardinal improve to 4–1 on the year.
How It Happened:
The setback marks Trinity's first loss since early in the 2024–25 campaign when the Bantams dropped a match to Princeton. Despite the end of their winning streak, Trinity battled throughout the ladder, surrendering only two 3–0 decisions.
Junior Kara Lincou opened the day with a dominant 3–0 sweep at the No. 3 position, and senior Elisenda Ruiz-Kaiser earned a 3–1 victory after edging out a tight 13–11 second set.
Fellow seniors Hannah Chukwu and Fabiola Cabello displayed resilience in five-game wins. Chukwu rallied to take the fourth and fifth sets to seal her victory, while Cabello and Stanford's Maeve Baker traded games before Cabello secured an 11–8 decision in the fifth.
Sophomore Varvara Kliueva also pushed her match the distance, taking a marathon 18–16 opening set and forcing a fifth after an 11–8 win in the fourth, ultimately falling in the final frame.
"This trip means a lot for us as a team. Spending the week together in San Francisco has given us the chance to tighten our bond, reset, and really lean into trusting each other both on and off court. The Stanford match didn't go our way on paper, but it pushed us to compete at our highest level, adapt under pressure, and step into roles that make us stronger collectively." Commented Head Coach Lauren Patrizio.
"We will come out of this week tougher, smarter, and more connected. The experience set the tone for the rest of the season. We know what we are capable of, and we are excited to carry that growth forward into our upcoming tough matches. The season is long and we are just getting started."
Match Results:
Stanford 5, Trinity 4
No. 1 — Amelie Haworth def. Thanusaa Uthrian, 3–1 (11–7, 11–8, 11–13, 11–9)
No. 2 — Hannah Chukwu def. Zhi Xuan Goh, 3–2 (11–8, 8–11, 11–9, 7–11, 11–9)
No. 3 — Kara Lincou def. Mariana Narvaez Dardon, 3–0 (11–8, 13–11, 11–7)
No. 4 — Riya Shankaran def. Malak Aly, 3–0 (11–9, 11–6, 11–0)
No. 5 — Madison Ho def. Varvara Esina, 3–1 (11–8, 8–11, 11–8, 11–1)
No. 6 — Fabiola Cabello def. Maeve Baker, 3–2 (4–11, 12–10, 6–11, 12–10, 11–8)
No. 7 — Tiana Parasrampuria def. Varvara Kliueva, 3–2 (16–18, 11–6, 11–7, 8–11, 11–8)
No. 8 — Elisenda Ruiz-Kaiser def. Khushi Kukadia, 3–1 (4–11, 13–11, 11–5, 11–5)
No. 9 — Avery Park def. Kitsy Fox, 3–0 (12–10, 11–8, 11–2)
Next Up:
Trinity returns to the East Coast to host No. 2 Penn on Saturday, January 17 at 1 p.m. in George A. Kellner Squash Courts.
TRINITY ATHLETICS
