PHILADELPHIA — The seventh-seeded Cornell women's squash team dropped an 8-1 decision to No. 2 Penn on Friday afternoon in the Howe Cup quarterfinals on the second day of the 2026 CSA National Team Championships at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.

The Quakers (15-2) were dominant throughout, winning six of eight completed matches in straight games and surrendering just three games across those contests.

Cornell's lone bright spot came at No. 6, where junior Christa Kay seemed poised to take the opening game over Anne Leakey before Leakey retired mid-game with Kay leading, 7-4.

Junior Xin Ying Yee put up the stiffest resistance among the Big Red's contested matches at No. 1, dropping the opening game 11-9 to Penn's Malak Khafagy before falling in three. At No. 8, junior Saniya Jaggi won the opening game over Savannah Ingledew, 11-2, before the Quakers' player rallied to win three straight. Freshman Lamees Shalaby also showed resilience at No. 9, winning the second and third games before falling to Jana Dweek in five games, 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-1, 11-9.

The result extended Penn's winning streak over Cornell to five matches. The Quakers have now outscored the Big Red 41-4 across their last five meetings.

RESULTS
No. 1: Malak Khafagy def. Xin Ying Yee, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6.
No. 2: Franka Vidovic def. Aishwarya Khubchandani, 11-1, 11-6, 11-5.
No. 3: Malak Taha def. Alysa Ali, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9.
No. 4: Sohaila Ismail def. Vicky Lai, 11-3, 11-4, 11-3.
No. 5: Alexandra Stoddard def. Sabine Ball, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8.
No. 6: Christa Kay def. Anne Leakey, 7-4, retired.
No. 7: Hailey Wong def. Maya Voloshin, 11-3, 12-10, 11-3.
No. 8: Savannah Ingledew def. Saniya Jaggi, 2-11, 12-10, 11-3, 11-1.
No. 9: Jana Dweek def. Lamees Shalaby, 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-1, 11-9.

UP NEXT
Cornell will face sixth-seeded Virginia (12-6) in the second consolation semifinals of the Howe Cup on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Cavaliers defeated the Big Red, 6-3, in Charlottesville on Dec. 6, with senior Alysa Ali posting a straight-game win at No. 3, freshman Vicky Lai winning in four games at No. 4, and junior Maya Voloshin also claiming a four-game victory after her opponent retired in the fourth game with the score tied, 8-8.

Virginia leads the all-time series 8-2 and has won the last seven meetings. Saturday will also mark the programs' first postseason encounter since the Cavaliers defeated Cornell, 6-3, in the Kurtz Cup semifinals in 2020.