In a new initiative for the College Squash Association (CSA), one women’s player and one men’s player will be highlighted for their accomplishments on court during each month of the season. Today, we celebrate the Players of the Month for November: Emma Jinks and Aly Hussein, both from University of Virginia.
CSA Women’s Player of the Month – November
Emma Jinks, University of Virginia, Senior
Jinks, a senior from Stratford, Canada, earned three high-quality wins during the month of November, helping to lead Virginia to the No. 5 ranking, the highest in program history. Her victories against Penn and Cornell spurred the team on to two major early-season 5-4 victories, and her win against Princeton was one of the first three team points that Virginia has ever won against the Tigers. Despite co-captain Jinks’s individual loss against Columbia, Virginia upset the Lions, cementing the Cavaliers as a Top 8 program this season.
Honorable Mention
Natalie Harrity, Hamilton College, Junior
– 2-1 record as Hamilton began play with a home round robin.
– Two critical wins at the number 5 position in the lineup against Conn College and William Smith.
– NESCAC Performer of the Week for Women’s Squash on Nov. 22.
Ashley Manning, University of Pennsylvania, Junior
– 5-1 record during November, including key victories in Penn’s team matches against Drexel and Virginia at the Number 3 position on the ladder.
– The only blemish on her record was a five-game loss against Stanford.
– Elected co-captain to start the season
Lilly Soroko, Amherst College, Senior
– 2 big wins for Amherst, starting off the season with an upset win over Stanford and decisive victory over Dickinson
– Senior captain won the deciding match against Stanford at #6 to earn Amherst the No. 10 ranking.
CSA Men’s Player of the Month – November
Aly Hussein, University of Virginia, Junior
Hussein, a junior from Cairo, Egypt, has come flying out of the gates this season, eager to solidify his standing as one of the top players in men’s college squash this year. Virginia’s early-season schedule presented a gauntlet of experienced opponents, but Hussein was up to the challenge, compiling a 5-1 record at the #1 position in the lineup. Statement wins against Princeton, Cornell (a 3-2 comeback to earn the match clinching team point), Columbia, and Yale have helped lead Virginia to the No. 8 ranking so far this season.
Honorable Mention
Aly Abou Eleinen, University of Pennsylvania, Senior
– Undefeated month at 7-0 with all matches coming on his home courts.
– Dropped only three games in his seven wins, including two against his talented cross-town rival, Matias Knudsen of Drexel.
Augustin Carranza, Chatham University, First-Year
– 4-2 to begin his college squash career, including significant victories against Franklin & Marshall and Dickinson
– Did not drop a game in his four wins, and his only two losses came against top-five opponents Penn and Drexel
– Part of Chatham’s rise which finds them ranked No. 15 in the country at the moment.
Kedar Nagaraj, Amherst College, Sophomore
– Matching his counterpart Soroko on the Amherst women’s team, he had two monumental wins to clinch big victories over Dickinson (5-4) and Navy (6-3)
– His match against Navy’s Matthew Wang at #3 was one of the matches of the season so far, with four of the five games going to extra points and with Nagaraj saving four match balls in the fifth before going on to clinch the win.
