STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford will join the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference (MASC) for the 2022-23 campaign, gaining conference affiliation for the first time in program history.
The first squash-specific collegiate athletic conference in the nation, the six-member women's MASC also includes Dickinson College, Franklin & Marshall, Virginia, Drexel and Georgetown. The MASC's inaugural season took place in 2018-19, with Virginia claiming both the men's and women's titles.
"Stanford is thrilled to be joining the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference," said head coach Mark Talbott. "Stanford has never been part of a league or conference before and to join the five other competitive schools competing for the Gaynor Cup is very exciting for our student-athletes and adds a new dimension to our season. We are thrilled to be a part of the first squash-specific collegiate conference and look forward to participating in our first MASC Championship event this coming February."
The Cardinal will make its conference debut at the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference Championships from Feb. 3-5, 2023, at the McArthur Squash Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. The previous two Gaynor Cup titles (2020-21) were won by Drexel after Virginia claimed the hardware in 2019.
Since being elevated to varsity status in 2003-04, Stanford has produced seven All-Americans while achieving a program-best College Squash Association (CSA) final ranking of No. 3 in 2018-19, upsetting Princeton for a third-place Howe Cup finish. From 2016-2020, Stanford finished no worse than sixth in the final CSA national rankings.
"We are thrilled to welcome Stanford to the MASC," said MASC Commissioner Anderson Good. "Not only do we bring in a program with a proven track record of vying for national championships and producing All-Americans, but we enhance MASC competition for all conference members. I think the addition of Stanford will enhance the competition of the MASC Women's Division and continue to build the foundation for meaningful rivalries to develop."
Leading the way for Stanford in 2022-23 will be Si Yi Ma, who finished 14-1 last season on the way to capturing the Holleran North Division title and earning second-team All-America honors, and Lucia Bicknell, who also competed at last year's CSA National Individual Championships and reached the semifinals in doubles while also participating in singles.
Stanford opens its season on Nov. 18, visiting Princeton in the first of a three-match road swing that also includes matchups against Penn and Virginia.
On Jan. 4, the Cardinal will host Tufts in its only home contest of the season and first on The Farm since a 9-0 victory over Tufts back on Jan. 8, 2020.
After two road trips to close out January, Stanford will compete at the CSA National Championships from Feb. 17-19 in Philadelphia, with the Individual Championships set to follow two weeks later.