CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Yale men's and women's squash teams split matchups at the University of Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville, Va. The No. 2 ranked men's squad emerged victorious, downing the Cavaliers 7-2. The women's team dropped the season opener 8-1.

Men's Results
The Bulldogs took down the No. 6 ranked Virginia squad 7-2. Tad Carney, Arav Bhagwati, Lachlan Sutton, Rohan Gandi, Rishi Srivastrava, Merritt Wurts, Jack O'Flynn and Bennett Eun all picked up victories. It was the first collegiate wins for Gandi and Srivastrava. 

Quoting Leong
"I'm proud our men today for pulling off a strong 7-2 win against UVA on their home turf. We started slow, with a few matches going in deficit early—UVA came out firing strong, putting us 2-0 down in some matches. However, our men showed resilience and held their ground," said Lynn Leong, the Brooks G. Ragen Director of Squash at Yale.

"At 2-2 overall, Tad's incredible five-game battle at the No. 1 position against Karim Elbarbary shifted the momentum in our favor, putting us ahead 3-2. Jack O'Flynn followed with a gutsy comeback at No. 9, turning a 2-1 deficit into a clutch win, extending our lead to 4-2. From there, the team stepped up and closed out the remaining matches to secure the victory. It's always tough to face UVA at home, but the grit and determination displayed by the team made all the difference today. Great effort, Bulldogs."

Women's Results
Yale fell to No. 7 Virginia 8-1. In a tightly contested battle, the Cavaliers came out on top, winning five matches in five sets. Whitney Taylor picked up the lone win for the Bulldogs. 

Quoting Leong
"A tough day for the women's team as we fell to UVA 8-1. We knew this was going to be a challenging match—UVA is a formidable team, and they showed their strength by clinching five matches in the top 5, all going to five games."

Our team fought valiantly, but we came up short. There are plenty of takeaways from this match, and we're reflecting on where we fell short. It's back to the drawing board to reset, train, and prepare for our next challenge. With three weeks until we face Drexel on the road, we'll be ready to bounce back. A special mention to Whitney Taylor, a junior playing at No. 6, who earned our lone point of the day. She held her ground and showed incredible composure, battling through five games to secure the win. Proud of her fight and determination."

Up Next
The Bulldogs will face off against Drexel on the road on Sunday, Dec. 8.