PHILADELPHIA – The women's squash team defended its spot in the top eight and nearly pulled off a big upset over the weekend, winning two of its first three matches of the season at Penn Squash Center. The Big Red defeated Stanford, 5-2, on Friday and Bates, 9-0, on Saturday before being dealt a 5-4 loss to Virginia on Sunday.
 
Cornell (2-1), which entered the weekend tabbed eighth the College Squash Association's national rankings, got three-win weekends from seniors Sivasangari Subramaniam and Lily Zelov, and junior McKenna Stoltz. All three swept Friday matches against the 10th-ranked Stanford – the first for the Cardinal since it reascended to varsity status over the pandemic. Sophomore Wen Li Lai won her first collegiate match at No. 2, and junior Alexis Shatzman accounted for the other point in helping Cornell defeat Stanford for the first time since 2014.
 
Saturday saw Cornell sweep eight of nine matches against Bates, with freshman Kacey Mollenkopf winning her first collegiate match at No. 7. That set the stage for the Big Red's challenge of fifth-ranked Virginia on Sunday, which opened with the Cavaliers carrying a 2-1 lead after the first rotation. Junior Ania LaDow (No. 8) accounted for Cornell's opening point, then a pair of five-set victories from Zelov (No. 5) and Stoltz (No. 7) pulled the Big Red even entering the final three matches. Subramaniam cruised to win in three at No. 1, but Virginia swept the other two to eke out the victory.
 
The Big Red returns to action with a trip to Williams on Dec. 4 before opening Ivy League play the next day at Columbia.

Virginia 5, Cornell 4

National rankings: Virginia 5, Cornell 8
At Penn Squash Center; Philadelphia, Pa.
1. Sivasangari Subramaniam (C) def. Meagan Best, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6
2. Olivia Walsh (V) def. Wen Li Lai, 11-4, 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9
3. Maria Moya-Lopez (V) def. Selena Georgieva, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7
4. Emma Jinks (V) def. Ananya Dabke, 9-11, 14-12, 11-8, 11-9
5. Lily Zelov (C) def. Sydney Maxwell, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 12-10
6. Caroline Baldwin (V) def. Alexis Shatzman, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8
7. McKenna Stoltz (C) def. Erin O'Connor, 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10
8. Ania LaDow (C) def. Amanda Haywood, 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8
9. Maureen Foley (V) def. Kacey Mollenkopf, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6
Ex. Annabelle MacTaggart (V) def. Mia Krishnamurthy, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5
Order of play: (2,3,1 / 4,5,6 / 8,7,9)

Cornell 9, Bates 0 

National rankings: Cornell 8, Bates 15
At Penn Squash Center; Philadelphia, Pa.
1. Sivasangari Subramaniam (C) def. Andrea Martagon, 11-1, 11-2, 11-2
2. Wen Li Lai (C) def. Erika Maria Parker-Schmidt, 11-4, 11-0, 11-2
3. Lily Zelov (C) def. Katherine Manternach, 11-3, 11-4, 11-2
4. Alexis Shatzman (C) def. Grace Flaherty, 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
5. McKenna Stoltz (C) def. Natasha Jones, 11-4, 11-2, 11-3
6. Ania LaDow (C) def. Ella Lungstrum, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4
7. Kacey Mollenkopf (C) def. Victoria Haghighi, 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6
8. Mia Krishnamurthy (C) def. Marina McGuire, 11-3, 11-3, 11-4
9. Sydney Bednar (C) def. Natalie Bachman, 11-2, 11-8, 11-1
Ex. Ashley Hatstadt (C) def. Zaya Rothenberg, 11-1, 11-5, 11-5
Order of play: (2,3,1 / 4,5,6 / 8,7,9)

Cornell 5, Stanford 2

National rankings: Cornell 8, Stanford 10
At Penn Squash Center; Philadelphia, Pa.
1. Sivasangari Subramaniam (C) def. Cassandra Ong, 11-5, 11-7, 11-3
2. Wen Li Lai (C) def. Elena Wagenmans, 5-11, 11-7, 1-11, 11-4, 11-8
3. Si Ma (S) def. Selena Georgieva, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5
4. Lucia Bicknell (S) def. Ananya Dabke, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9
5. Lily Zelov (C) def. Sumrin Mudgil, 11-4, 11-6, 11-3
6. Alexis Shatzman (C) def. Haley Aube, 11-6, 11-0, 11-2
7. McKenna Stoltz (C) def. Cathy Zhou, 11-3, 11-3, 11-2
Order of play: (2,3,1 / 4,5,6 / 7)