New Haven, CT — The evening of the first day of the College Squash Association’s National Team Championships featured Kurtz Cup (women’s B Division) matches.
Virginia, the top club team in the nation, earned the final position in the Kurtz Cup. The newcomer to the event faced Dartmouth, whose former coach, Aggie Kurtz, is the namesake for the event. Dartmouth, last season’s runner up, last won the Kurtz Cup in 2013. The Big Green defeated Virginia, 9-0, to advance to the semifinals.
During the regular season, Williams defeated George Washington, 7-2. The Colonials, who won the Kurtz Cup in 2013 – 2014, were looking to avenge that loss. Williams had a 4-2 lead with three matches left to play. George Washington won at the top, closing the gap with the Ephs. The number 4 match went to 10-10 in the fifth, and then Williams took the next two points, claiming the individual and team match. The final score was Williams 6, George Washington 3.
In the all-time series, Franklin & Marshall holds an 8-6 advantage over Brown. That said, Brown has captured the last three meetings between the schools, including a 6-3 victory in the 2015 Kurtz Cup. Today, Brown made it four in a row by defeating F&M, 7-2.
Drexel, the 10th-ranked team, faced 15th-ranked Middlebury. Middlebury held a 2-1 series advantage against the Dragons entering tonight’s contest. Drexel had the edge tonight, however, clinching a berth in the semifinals by the time the second flight of matches were complete. The final score was 7-2 in Drexel’s favor.
In tomorrow’s semifinals at 6:00 PM, Dartmouth will face Williams and Brown will meet Drexel. In the consolation semifinals, Virginia will meet George Washington and Franklin & Marshall will face Middlebury.
