ITHACA, N.Y. — The No. 10-ranked Cornell men's squash team will conclude its fall semester on Saturday when it travels to Charlottesville, Va., to face No. 4 Virginia at the McArthur Squash Center.

Cornell (4-1), riding a two-match win streak after victories over No. 18 Western (9-0) and No. 11 Tufts (6-3) two weeks ago, will face Virginia (6-1) with match action scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed on Virginia's YouTube page.

RECENT SUCCESS
The Big Red found its rhythm over the past two weeks, sweeping No. 18 Western on Nov. 21 before capturing a 6-3 victory over No. 11 Tufts on Nov. 23 to close out a three-match homestand at the Belkin Squash Courts.

Freshman Aly Ezzat and Edward Thng, along with sophomores Youssef Sarhan and Vivaan Shah, have been instrumental in Cornell's early success, each carrying 2-1 records into Saturday's match.

SCOUTING VIRGINIA
Virginia enters Saturday's match having seen its season-opening six-game win streak snapped on Nov. 23 when it fell to top-ranked Penn, 7-2.

The Cavaliers' résumé includes a trio of top-10 victories against No. 9 Dartmouth, No. 7 Columbia, and a 6-3 upset over then-No. 4 Yale on Nov. 16.

Dylan Moran leads Virginia with his team-leading six victories on the season, primarily playing between the No. 3 and No. 5 positions. Sophomore Juan Jose Torres Lara, who was named the MASC Rookie of the Year last season after posting a 12-3 record, has carried over his strong play this season, posting a 4-0 record exclusively from the No. 2 position. Juan Irisarri (5-2 at No. 1), JP Tew (5-2 between No. 2 and No. 3), and Krishna Mishra (5-1 at No. 4 and No. 5) are right behind Moran in victories.

SERIES HISTORY
Virginia holds an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series, but Cornell has made recent strides against the Cavaliers. The Big Red's first win came in a 5-4 decision at the CSA National Championships consolation semifinals in Hartford, Conn., on Feb. 25, 2023. Cornell followed with another 5-4 victory at Virginia's home court on Feb. 18, 2024, in the Big Red's regular-season finale. Virginia avenged that loss just 11 days later with a 5-4 win over Cornell at the CSA National Championships in Philadelphia.

Of the 10 meetings between the programs, seven have been decided by 5-4 scores, including three of the last four.