The College Squash Association is excited to announce the 2026 CSA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, to be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Philadelphia, alongside the CSA National Team Championships.

This special evening will celebrate the individuals whose achievements, leadership, and lasting contributions have helped shape collegiate squash. Hosting the ceremony during championship weekend creates a unique opportunity to bring together players, alumni, coaches, administrators, and supporters to honor the sport’s history while celebrating its present and future.

2026 CSA Hall of Fame Honorees

The CSA is proud to recognize the following individuals:

• Amanda Sobhy — Harvard University (Class of 2015)
• Baset Chaudhry — Trinity College (Class of 2010)
• John Illig — Blasberg Lifetime Achievement Award

Event Details

• Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
• Location: The Study, Philadelphia
• Time: Immediately following the conclusion of the day’s championship matches (approximately 6:30 PM)
• Program: Dinner, formal remarks, and induction ceremony

Members of the CSA community – including players, alumni, coaches, and supporters – are warmly invited to attend.

The college squash season enters the critical stretch this week. With February upon us, teams are jockeying for final positioning, making every result vital.

The schedule is packed with rivalry matches and pivotal conference showdowns. From the NESCAC to the Ivy League, the intensity is ramping up.

Here is what to watch for in this upcoming week of CSA action:

CSA Featured Matches

Men

Amherst College vs. MIT
Friday, February 6 at 5:30 p.m. | Amherst College

Amherst enters this matchup holding a historic 8-5 advantage over MIT. The Mammoths are currently riding a three-match winning streak against the Engineers, though the margins have been razor-thin. Their most recent meeting on December 4, 2024, resulted in a tight 5–4 victory for Amherst. MIT will look to secure a win over Amherst.

Hamilton College vs. University of Rochester
Saturday, February 7 at 5:00 p.m. | Hamilton College

Hamilton hosts Rochester looking to overturn a decisive result from last season. In their previous meeting in February 2025, Rochester dominated the contest with an 8–1 victory. That match saw Rochester control the top of the lineup, conceding only a single point. Hamilton will look to utilize their home courts to close the gap on a Rochester squad that has proven difficult to break down in recent history.

Women

Princeton University vs. University of Pennsylvania
Saturday, February 7 at 1:00 p.m. | Princeton University

This Ivy League clash features two programs with a volatile recent history. While Princeton leads 20–13 dating back to 2001, Penn holds the most recent momentum. On February 9, 2025, Penn snapped back against the Tigers with a 5–4 victory. Prior to that win, Princeton had dominated the matchup from 2018 to 2024.

Bowdoin College vs. Colby College
Sunday, February 8 at 1:00 p.m. | Bowdoin College

Bowdoin enters this Maine rivalry with significant historical dominance, holding a 25–8 record against Colby since 2002. The Polar Bears have won the last seven meetings consecutively, including two 6–3 victories in the 2024-25 season. Colby’s last victory in the series came on February 9, 2019, when they secured an 8–1 win. The Mules will look to break a six-year drought this Sunday.

Order of play:
3-Court
1,3,2 / 4,6 5 / 9,7,8

5-Court
2,1 / 3,4 / 6,5 / 8,7 / 10,9

Men’s Division

Women’s Division

Brown University has announced that its men’s and women’s squash programs will be elevated to varsity status effective July 1, 2026, officially reinstating both teams after competing at the club level since 2020.

Throughout their time as club programs, Brown’s men’s and women’s squash teams continued to train, recruit, and compete nationally, maintaining full competitive schedules while remaining active members of the collegiate squash community. Program continuity was strengthened in 2021 with the appointment of Arthur Gaskin as head coach of both programs, providing consistent leadership during the club years.

Under Gaskin’s direction, Brown’s men’s team captured three consecutive Club National Championships, while the women’s team won two Club National Championships and finished as runner-up in the third season. The sustained success of both programs reflected a strong competitive foundation and positioned Brown for a return to varsity competition.

Brown’s reinstatement restores full varsity participation in squash across the Ivy League, with all eight Ivy institutions now sponsoring varsity men’s and women’s squash programs. The decision represents a meaningful moment for the College Squash Association – a welcome development that brings renewed energy and optimism to intercollegiate varsity squash.

The College Squash Association and the college squash community are excited to welcome Brown back into the league as varsity programs and look forward to their return to Ivy League and national competition beginning in the 2026–27 season. With expansion as one of its top priorities, the CSA views Brown’s reinstatement as a positive and encouraging moment for varsity college squash.

For more information, Brown University’s official announcement is available on the Brown Athletics website.

For most collegiate varsity captains, the path is linear: years of junior tournaments, early recruitment conversations, and a secured roster spot going into college. For Oliver Riordan (Colby ’26), the road to leading the Colby Men’s Squash team looked very different.

Despite playing squash throughout his childhood and at Phillips Exeter Academy, Oliver had never chased the college recruitment track. As he approached graduation in the midst of the COVID years, college squash wasn’t always part of the plan.

That changed definitively in the spring of his senior year. As his high school season ended, a realization took hold: he wasn’t ready to put the racquet down.

Oliver made a decision that many would have viewed as too late. However, he was determined to walk on to the Colby team his freshman year, convinced that if he dedicated his entire summer to the game, he could bridge the gap. He set out to make up for lost time with a regimen defined by humility and grit.

Over the summer Oliver was grinding. He attended nearly every summer training camp he could find. Often, this meant stepping onto the court against athletes who had more technical experience than he did. It was a test of ego as much as skill, but Oliver refused to take no for an answer. He showed up, day in and day out, believing he could do it even when the odds suggested it was a long shot.

He arrived on campus in Waterville the following fall as ready as he could possibly be, prepared to do the work with absolutely nothing guaranteed. For a while, his status remained unclear.

Then came the moment that defined his freshman year. He sent parents a text message out of the blue. There were no words needed—just a photo of a Colby Squash racquet bag sitting on his dorm bed. He had done it.

That racquet bag represented more than just a roster spot; it was the entry point to what would become the defining community of his college experience. Oliver didn’t just make the team; he embedded himself in it. Through the same work ethic that got him on the team, he evolved from a hopeful walk-on to a Varsity Captain.

Coach Abplanalp underscores this transformation, noting the impact Oliver has had on the team dynamic.

“Going from a walk-on to captain, Oliver has grown into a true leader within our program,” says Abplanalp. “His development reflects the standards and culture we value at Colby. He sets an example through his work ethic, accountability, and commitment to his teammates.”

Now a senior double-majoring in Economics and Spanish, preparing for a career in finance, Oliver has built a resume of excellence. But his journey on the squash court remains the truest testament to his character: he is a leader who knows exactly what it takes to earn his place.

Fresh off the conclusion of the CSA Individual Championships, the college squash world wasted no time shifting back into team mode this weekend. With the calendar turning to the final full month of the regular season, the intensity ramped up across the CSA. Emotions remained high following a marquee individual event, and teams across the country delivered a weekend defined by urgency, energy, and results that will shape the run to the championships.

Men’s Competition Highlights

Several of the weekend’s most anticipated matchups delivered clear results across the men’s draw, particularly among teams clustered near the top and middle of the rankings.

Trinity (1) earned a 7–2 road win over Harvard (2), reinforcing its position as the regular season enters its final stretch. After splitting the top four positions, Trinity’s depth proved decisive, as the Bantams claimed all matches from No. 5 through No. 9.

Harvard (2) later responded with a strong win over Yale (4) in another key Ivy matchup. Princeton (8) also picked up an important result against Columbia (7), adding further definition to a tightly packed group in the middle of the rankings.

Elsewhere, Amherst (16) recorded one of the weekend’s notable results with a 5–4 win over Williams (12), with multiple five-game matches contributing to a closely contested outcome. Western Ontario (19) also earned a 5–4 road victory over Franklin & Marshall (18), securing key points at both the top and bottom of the lineup.

Vassar (33) rounded out the weekend’s close-ranking results with a 6–3 win over Hobart (32). After dropping the top three positions, Vassar controlled the middle and lower order to turn the match in its favor.

Taken together, the weekend’s results further underscored just how tight the competition remains at the top of the men’s rankings. With several circular results emerging among teams in the top eight, there is little separation on paper, and outcomes continue to be dictated by execution, depth, and performance on the day. As the regular season enters its final month, that parity is likely to keep both the rankings and postseason picture in flux.

Men’s Results (Jan 28 – Feb 1)

Women’s Competition Highlights

The women’s slate featured several closely ranked matchups, with results largely aligning with expectations while still offering clarity across the middle of the rankings.

Denison (21) earned a 6–3 home win over Dickinson (20) in one of the tighter contests of the weekend. Denison’s depth proved decisive, as the Big Red claimed points across the lower half of the lineup to secure the result.

Haverford (28) also recorded a 6–3 victory, defeating William Smith (27). The Fords controlled the middle of the order, winning six matches from No. 3 through No. 8 to come away with the win.

Tufts (11) picked up a 6–3 result against Williams (16), with strength at the top and middle of the lineup providing separation. Williams pushed several matches deep, but Tufts maintained control throughout the contest.

Women’s Results (Jan 28 – Feb 1)

Gallery Links

CSA Event Gallery

CSA Event Gallery 2

Zein Defends Her Title on the Grand Central Stage

The women’s final at the 2026 CSA Individual Championships delivered a showcase worthy of the stage, as Zeina Zein (Princeton) faced Caroline Fouts (Harvard) in a highly anticipated championship match.

Zein, the defending 2025 CSA Individual Champion, rose to the occasion once again, earning a four-game victory in 52 minutes. The scoreline read 11-8, 12-10, 5-11, 14-12 in a match defined by momentum swings, physical rallies, and composure under pressure. Zein came out strong in the opening game, establishing an early lead and controlling the tempo with precise, confident squash to take it 11-8.

The second game featured multiple momentum shifts, with both players trading long points before Zein held her nerve in extra points to claim it 12-10. Fouts responded decisively in the third, refocusing and asserting herself early. She built and maintained a commanding lead to take the game 11-5 and push the match into a fourth.

The final game was tightly contested from start to finish, with neither player able to separate as the crowd leaned into every rally. The game extended into overtime, where Zein once again found her best level, closing it out 14-12 to secure the match — and successfully defend her title.

With a packed and energized crowd providing a fitting championship atmosphere, Zeina Zein capped off an outstanding tournament to become a two-time CSA Individual Champion.

Congratulations to Zeina Zein on a remarkable title defense.

Hafez Claims the 2026 CSA Individual Championship

The men’s final at the 2026 CSA Individual Championships brought together two of the highest-level competitors in college squash, as Muhammad Ashab Irfan (Trinity) faced Omar Hafez (Penn). In a 65-minute showcase of elite shot-making and relentless retrieving, Hafez emerged victorious in four games, winning 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3. Anticipation surrounding the final was high. Hafez entered the match as last year’s finalist, having fallen to his Penn teammate Salman Khalil in the 2025 championship. Throughout this season, Hafez has anchored the Penn lineup at the No. 1 position and arrived in the final playing outstanding squash.

Across the court, Irfan brought an equally compelling résumé — a top-50 PSA World Tour ranking, a January arrival at Trinity, and a statement win over Khalil earlier this season in his first weekend of college squash during the Penn–Trinity dual.From the opening rally, the match delivered the highest standard of the collegiate game.

Both players consistently hit tight targets and displayed exceptional movement and defensive skills. Hafez came out laser-focused, playing clean, disciplined squash to take the opening game 11-5. The second game saw Ashab find his rhythm and raise the pace, but Hafez remained composed under pressure.

The game concluded with a heavy collision that briefly left Hafez on the floor, though he closed out the second game 11-9. Ashab returned in the third, taking control early and maintaining his advantage through a series of closely contested rallies. His attacking play paid off as he claimed the game 11-6 to extend the match.

In the fourth, Hafez reasserted himself immediately, opening up a commanding early lead while playing with renewed focus and authority. A sequence of lose shots from Ashab leading to stroke decisions midway through the game helped extend the margin, and the closing rallies showcased world-class squash from both players. Hafez sealed the match with an emphatic 11-3 finish.

Congratulations to Omar Hafez on an outstanding performance and a well-earned 2026 CSA Individual Championship title.

The Photo Gallery From the Tournament can be found here.

The Stage is Set at Grand Central! 🗽🏆

After a weekend defined by upsets, grueling five-setters, and intense rivalries, the finalists for the CSA Individual Championships have arrived.

The Women’s Final:
Defending champion Zeina Zein (Princeton) looks to keep her crown after a composed run through the bracket. She faces Caroline Fouts (Harvard), who is riding a wave of momentum after surviving a match-ball scare in the quarters and a dominant semifinal performance.

The Men’s Final:
Omar Hafez (Penn) returns to the final after winning a physical rematch of last year’s semi. He takes on Muhammad Ashab Irfan (Trinity), who knocked out the defending champion and powered through a tactical semifinal clash.

History will be made under the chandeliers. Who takes home the title?

The 2026 College Squash Association (CSA) Individual Championships kicked off at Open Squash FiDi. With the top 56 men and 56 women in the College Squash in Manhattan, Day 1 delivered a marathon of high stakes squash.

The focus now shifts to Saturday, where the pressure intensifies. The remaining players will compete in the Round of 16.

A place on the Glass Court at Grand Central Terminal in the semifinals and finals is the prize. But with the depth of this field, nothing beyond this weekend can be taken for granted, and the immediate focus must be on the intense matches at Open Squash on Saturday and Sunday.

Follow the Action

Fans can follow the Round of 16 live beginning tomorrow at 10:00 AM.

• Full Draws & Live Scoring: Available via Club Locker.

• Live Stream: Catch featured matches on the CSA YouTube Channel.

The College Squash Association (CSA) has released its latest team rankings, incorporating all varsity match results through Jan 21, 2026.

Rankings will continue to be updated regularly throughout the season as teams take on more opponents, shaping the pathway toward championship seeding in 2026.

Fans, families, and programs can view the full rankings on the CSA website and stay tuned for more movement as January competition ramps up.