NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The women's squash team was defeated by Harvard, 9-0, on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Howe Cup. The Big Red will move on to the consolation semifinals, where it will take on host Yale at noon Saturday at Brady Squash Center.
 
Competing in the top flight of the College Squash Association's national championships for an eighth consecutive, Cornell (9-8) faced a tough opening draw against national No. 1 and defending champion Harvard (11-0). The Big Red's best-ever finish at the Howe Cup was in 2001, when it placed fifth following consolation bracket victories over Brown and Dartmouth. Cornell has finished sixth in 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014, and seventh in 2010 and 2011. The Big Red entered the weekend ranked eighth in the country, and cannot fall any further by season's end — just move up with any victories this weekend.
 
In the Howe Cup's other three quarterfinals, No. 4 Trinity topped No. 5 Yale, 7-2; No. 3 Princeton defeated No. 6 Stanford, 8-1; and No. 2 Penn sailed past No. 7 Columbia, 9-0. Regardless of Saturday's result, Cornell will play its Sunday placement match at 9 a.m. against either Stanford or Columbia.
 
#1 HARVARD 9, #8 CORNELL 0
1. Sabrina Sobhy (H) def. Rachel Scherman, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8
2. Kayley Leonard (H) def. Margaux Losty, 11-2, 11-9, 11-4
3. Alyssa Mehta (H) def. Emma Uible, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6
4. Katie Tutrone (H) def. Charlotte Knaggs, 11-7, 11-2, 11-4
5. Michelle Gemmell (H) def. Nghi Nguyen, 11-7, 11-3, 11-4
6. Sue Ann Yong (H) def. Reut Odinak, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8
7. Saumya Karki (H) def. Lauren Leizman, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
8. Dileas MacGowan (H) def. Hannah Scherl, 11-8, 11-3, 11-3
9. Sophie Mehta (H) def. Olivia Wherry, 11-2, 11-8, 11-8
Ex. Isabelle Dowling (H) def. Sydney Francis, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8