PHILADELPHIA – No. 6 Stanford cruised past No. 4 Penn 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at the CSA National Championships, claiming a fifth-place Howe Cup performance while putting the finishing touches on an impressive season.
Stanford (9-5), which finished with its most victories since a 14-win campaign in 2018, continued to prove it belongs among the nation's elite, winning three of four tournament matches over the weekend against top-flight competition. The Cardinal opened tournament play by blanking No. 11 Dartmouth 9-0 and also beating No. 7 Virginia for the second time.
Collecting its fifth win over a top-10 opponent, the Cardinal closed out a stellar 2023-24 campaign, which also featured the program's first Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference (MASC) title three weeks ago in a 7-2 triumph over Virginia.
Stanford's noticeable season-long improvement was on full display Sunday, avenging a 7-2 loss at Penn back on Nov. 17 in the season opener. This time around, the Cardinal won four matches in straight sets while its standout freshman class extended its recent dominance.
Stanford has boasted incredible roster depth, with eight of its nine starting players having won at least seven matches. Maeve Baker and Yuvna Gupta share the team lead with nine victories.
The Cardinal will close out its season in two weeks, competing at the CSA National Individual Championships in Philadelphia.
No. 6 Stanford 7, No. 4 Penn 1
1's: Madison Ho (STAN) d. Sophia Ismail (PENN) 11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9
2's: Si Yi Ma (STAN) d. Franka Vidovic (PENN) 11-7, 11-8, 11-2
3's: Mariana Narvaez Dardon (STAN) vs. Avni Anand (PENN) DD
4's: Miriam Cheng (STAN) d. Jana Dweek (PENN) 11-2, 11-8, 11-6
5's: Maeve Baker (STAN) d. Ashna Tumuluri (PENN) 14-12, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10
6's: Yuvna Gupta (STAN) d. Natasha Pensler (PENN) default
7's: Khushi Kukadia (STAN) d. Emma Wolf (PENN) 11-2, 11-6, 11-3
8's: Lucia Bicknell (STAN) d. Grace Lavin (PENN) 11-9, 13-11, 11-3
9's: Penelope Oh (PENN) d. Leah McGillicuddy (STAN) 12-10, 7-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-4