See you around the courts....and through the courts | Photo by Mark Allen

McArthur Squash Center at Boar’s Head Sports Club (friends call it MSC at BHSC) is the new home of squash at UVa. And you’re welcome to come check it out this weekend, May 3-5.

Most subscribers of and visitors to the Cville Squash Blog received the event information and schedule by email. But in case your invitation fell through the nicks, you can click to check the details and RSVP for clinics and open court times.

(If you did not receive the aforementioned email announcement (and would have liked to), you should click to sign up for the Friends of Virginia Squash mailing list.)

If you couldn’t make it last night, fear not. There’s plenty more squash to come over the weekend. Though you did miss exhibition squash at its finest from the UVa squads, as well as from Head Coach Mark Allen, who went step for step with the acrobatics of Richmond’s Patrick Chifunda in a 2-1 victory for the Wa-house. After just a couple weeks in Charlottesville, Allen looked right at home on the Charlottesville turf.

Photos from the weekend are forthcoming. Maybe even some video. So check us out here and on our Facebook page.

Photos forthcoming. So check back tomorrow!

WALLINGFORD, Conn. – The University of Virginia men’s squash team went 1-2 at the 2012-2013 MCSA National Team Tournament. After climbing in the rankings over the course of the season (from #42 to #36), the Cavaliers earned a berth in the Chaffee (E) Division, one division higher than their posting in the 2011-2012 tournament draws.

In the first round UVa faced Colgate University, whom they had narrowly defeated less than two weeks earlier (6-3 at Haverford with several matches extending to four and five games). This time around, key victories from rookies Campbell Goodman (at #5, 3-0 over William Hunnewell), Russell Bogue (at #9, 3-1 over Ryan Geary), and Peter Dorsey (at #8, 3-1 over Ian Beihl) set the tone early, as the ‘Hoos prevailed 8-1 to advance on the winner’s side of the draw.

"Aim with the eye. Shoot with the mind. Kill with the heart."

In the second and semi-final match, Virginia drew top-seeded Boston College. BC took the early lead with victories at #3 and #6 spots, but UVa #9 Russell Bogue, playing on his old home courts at Choate Rosemary Hall, once again held tough for the Cavs. The Eagles again earned the edge in the second round of matches, despite an incredible effort from Matt Brown, who rallied from 0-2 down at the #2 position to force a fifth set before succumbing, 10-12 in the final game. Entering the third and final flight of matches, the score was BC 4 UVa 2, meaning the Eagles needed just one more victory, while UVa had to win out. Boston College’s Milo Watanabe proved up to the task at the #1 position. With tremendous court coverage and excellent touch and deception, Watanabe prevailed over UVa’s Ned Whelan in 3-0 fashion. The 2-1 trend held for BC, who also captured the #7 position (Max Ortwein over Jack Pellingto, 3-2). Noel Flemmer earned the third point for the Cavaliers with a superb performance (3-0 over Nicholas Gadsden) at the #4 spot.

The second-round loss shunted Virginia into a 3/4 playoff with Denison University. The Big Red were exceptionally strong at the top of the ladder, with twin brothers Andrew and Matthew Kryacich at #1 and #3 respectively, as well as an outstanding #2 in Martin Prentice. The Cavaliers took the lead in the early going as co-captain Rob Patterson and Russell Bogue both captured 3-0 victories. True to form, Denison quickly tied the overall score with victories at #3 and #2. The teams traded positions going into the final match, with Denison earning victories at #1 and #5 and UVa capturing points #8 and #7. Despite another inspired performance from Noel Flemmer, Dension’s Marshall Crane ultimately used a crisp attacking style to secure a 3-1 victory and the fifth and final point for the Big Red.

The Cavalier men finish the season with a 13-8 record and a projected final ranking of #36 in the nation.

Note: Matches played 2/2/13 | This is a repost from the Virginia Squash Teams’ website.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s squash team once again protected the house that Jefferson built, going 3-0 in an early February home stand to bring their home record to a perfect 4-0 for the season. The Cavaliers paid their orange-and-blue-striped cheering section in kind with superb squash. In the process they avenged opening-weekend losses to Georgetown and Johns Hopkins.

Co-Captain Alice Kister digs out a boast in her match against Georgetown's Elizabeth Johnson

Virginia opened the 2013 home event with a 5-4 thriller over long-time rival Georgetown. The victory ended a four-plus year drought for the Cavaliers against the Hoyas. No surprise, then, that the fourth-year players summoned their most inspired squash of the season to capture points at #1 (Kelly Whelan over Kirsten Craddock, 3-0), #3 (Amara Warren over Caroline Palmer, 3-1 ), and #8 (Sophie Baum over Mary McShea, 3-1). UVa took a substantial lead in the early going, as Baum, Celia Dyer, and Rachel Filderman prevailed. Despite a strong effort from UVa fourth-year Alice Kister, Georgetown’s Elizabeth Johnson put the Hoyas on the board with a victory at the #4 position. The visitors mounted a comeback with strong play through the middle of the ladder, notching victories at positions five through seven. But Cavalier fourth-years Whelan and Warren sealed the score card for the home crew with victories at #1 and #3.

In their second match of the weekend, UVa hosted one of the newer members of the College Squash Association, the University of North Carolina. In their second appearance on the UVa home courts, the Tar Heels demonstrated remarkable improvement, taking the number four position (Caroline Klaff over

Sophie Baum, 3-0) and pushing the number five match to five games. Ultimately, however, the Heels had no answer for the ‘Hoos at the top and bottom of the ladder. And the home team rolled on to a 7-1 victory.

Sunday’s match proved an anticlimax, as the Johns Hopkins side suffered an epidemic of last-minute roster scratches in the days leading up to the match. Able to muster only three players, the Blue Jays opted to take the default in order to fulfill the CSA’s match requirement*. UVa first-year Charlotte Seiler competed at the #1 position for the ‘Hoos and earned the prime win of her young career in 3-2 fashion over JHU’s Dorothy Kim. Hopkins tallied wins in the two other contested matches (Nyirjesy over Tara Simonson at #2 and Plapinger over Meghan Cover at #3), bringing the final overall match score to 7-2 in favor of Virginia.

–Matches played February 2-3, 2013

*According to CSA rules women’s club teams must play in at least nine regular-season matches to qualify to participate in the WCSA National Team Championships.

Note: Matches played 2/2/13 | This is a repost from the Virginia Squash Teams’ website.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – It was a tale of two teams in Virginia’s first home matches since returning from winter break. The Cavalier men turned in a fierce performance against the College of Charleston Saturday morning and overpowered the visiting Cougars 8-1. The local motion, however, froze up in the afternoon contest; unable to recapture their a.m. rhythm, the Virginia side dropped a bruising 1-8 decision to Georgetown University.

Virginia’s 8-1 result against College of Charleston, though convincing, was by no means a rout. Three matches extended to the full five-game distance. At the number one position UVa’s Ned Whelan traded games (two of which ended in tie breaks, 13-15 and 11-13) with Torey Broderson before prevailing 11-8 in the fifth. And the path to victory was equally arduous for the Cavs at the #4 and #5 spots, where Noel Flemmer and Campbell Goodman demonstrated tremendous endurance to secure the points for the home team. The lone victory for the Cougars came courtesy of Luke Schweitzer, who defeated UVa’s Roy Flemmer at the #3 position. Matt Brown (#2), George Guthrie (#6), and Rob Patterson (#7) also picked up contested victories for the ‘Hoos, while Jack Pellington and Peter Dorsey took the eight and nine positions by default.

In their second match of the day, the UVa squad ended up on the opposite end of an 8-1 result. Georgetown flipped the script–and crisply–rattling off 3-0 victories at positions 1, 3-5, and 8-9. Second-year Matt Brown was one of the few bright spots for the Cavaliers. Brown once again used his incredible fitness and court coverage, as well as a vast reserve of patience, to overcome Charlie Bolton 3-1 at the #2 position. Fourth-year co captain Rob Patterson also managed to find some purchase on his form. After taking the fourth game against Georgetown’s Paolella 11-4, Patterson seemed firmly in command heading into the deciding set. Paolella, though, managed to jujitsu the momentum in the fifth, which he took by an 11-3 margin.

Virginia will be back in action next weekend, when they travel to Philadelphia for matches against Haverford College, Colgate, and Drexel.