As winter sports roll into season, the men’s squash team has kicked into high gear, having already completed five matches since Nov. 15. The team, ranked 10th out of 34 teams in the College Squash Association pre-season rankings, bested No. 15 University of Rochester 6–3 in an away match on Saturday. The team earned their wins primarily in the middle of the ladder, taking down the Yellowjackets, who have been “one of the best teams in college squash for the past 20 years,” as head coach Joe Raho wrote in an email to the Daily.
Going into the match, the team was looking to end a three-match long losing streak having fallen to Trinity, Harvard and Columbia — all of whom rank higher than Tufts.
The Jumbos’ top seed, sophomore Aarav Gill, fell 3–0 with a score of 8–11, 5–11, 6–11. Although he managed to earn a game, fellow sophomore and second seed Nachiket Desai also could not come through, losing a nail-biting match 11–7, 8–11, 10–12, 11–13.
Despite his loss, Desai looks optimistically towards the season. “We feel great about the season ahead, as this is our highest ranking in team history,” Desai wrote in an email to the Daily.
“We’re set to face higher-ranked teams than ever before, making it one of our most challenging seasons yet,” he wrote. “However, we’re excited to embrace the challenge and are eager to prove ourselves as underdogs.”
The third seed, first-year Santiago Medina, fourth seed senior Kerwin Teh, and fifth seed junior Rohan Valia all pulled off 3–1 wins. Teh attributed the team’s success in part to the loss against Columbia the day prior.
“Playing a match against Columbia the day before helped with getting used to the weird court conditions and I believe most of us learned where we went wrong (if we lost) or just rode the high of playing well,” Teh wrote in an email to the Daily. “We always go into matches with the mentality of just enjoying ourselves out there competing. We were expecting a win against Rochester, but we knew it wouldn’t be easy and we would all still have to show up and play our best squash to earn the win.”
The sixth seed, junior Jared Chin, swept his opponent 3–0, winning 11–9, 11–8, 11–7 in 27 minutes, the quickest match of the day. While the seventh seed, sophomore Rutva Samant, lost 3–11, 11–6, 12–14, 9–11, eighth-seeded junior Shivin Kumar achieved the second sweep of the match, beating his opponent 11–7, 11–7, 11–7. Ninth-seeded sophomore Emerson Wang won 11–2, 11–8, 9–11, 12–10.
“I think just being a bit steadier and accurate in crucial moments in the match was probably the difference maker for us,” Raho wrote. “I am really happy with the team’s ability to just stick to their game plan and stay disciplined and tough in tense moments.”
Although it’s still early in the season, the win against Rochester is a testament to the work the team has already put in. “We entered the match with a strong sense of confidence, knowing our preparation had set us up for success…we had dedicated ourselves to an intensive training regimen, practicing five times a week and incorporating two strength-training sessions into our routine,” Desai wrote. “Over the past two months, we also played a lot of challenge matches and focused practice sessions, ensuring we were thoroughly prepared for this moment.”
The goal of finishing within the top 10 is a common theme across the team and with this, a NESCAC final may even be in store for the Jumbos in early February. However, while team goals are consistent, different players have set personal goals that they hope to achieve.
“My personal goals for the season are to play intense, high-level squash and continuously improve my game,” Desai wrote. “I aim to win as many matches as possible and contribute to the team’s overall success. As for our team goals, we aspire to finish in the top 10 and secure victories in matches where we’re considered underdogs. Above all, we are committed to playing clean, competitive, and high-quality squash throughout the season.”
While Desai has three more years with the team, Teh looks to make the most of his last season. “My goal as a senior who’s competing in his final year of competitive squash is to give everything I have and enjoy myself competing with the boys for a few more months,” he wrote.
While Thanksgiving break will pause the momentum from the win against Rochester, Tufts is ready to take on their neighbor in the rankings, No. 9 Cornell, on Dec. 7, a team they hope to get the best of after a 0–9 loss last season.
