The Wesleyan women’s squash team capped off an impressive season with a historic win at the Walker Cup in Philadelphia. This success started months earlier, in the preseason. The team had high expectations for the season and was determined to put in the work to meet them. Aside from physical preparation, they focused on creating a dynamic that would support them as they faced a challenging schedule. They worked to build a mindset that emphasized the importance of winning as a team while also leaving it all out on the court individually. Aanya Anand ’26 discussed how a revamped preseason was critical.

“We changed our preseason a lot,” Anand said. “We didn’t have morning lifts last year, or a regular lifting schedule in the fall. And this year, [the lifts] were super intense, making sure we were doing conditioning, and then we…kept up with lifting better. The captains were super into getting us into this position for the season to start.”

The Cardinals began the season on Nov. 18 with a two-day round-robin event at their home court, the Rosenbaum Squash Center, where they competed against Middlebury, Vassar College, and Brown University.

The Cardinals dismantled the Bears and Brewers with final scores of 8–1 and 7–0 respectively. A loss to No. 16 Middlebury was sandwiched between their two wins, but overall it was a successful start to the season. All 15 of the matches the Cardinals won came in straight sets, with none of their opponents scoring more than five points in a set. 

Jaclyn Dichter ’26 discussed the importance of the two wins in helping the team transition into the season.

“It was good to have those two wins under our belt,” Dichter said. “Starting off the season is always tough…. We play practice matches, but being in an actual match is just so much more intense.”

After a restful Thanksgiving, the team was back at it, playing three matches in two days and two different states. The Cardinals incurred two losses to ranked opponents, including a razor-thin 4–5 loss to Franklin & Marshall College, who got two of their points in five-set matches. Despite this setback, the team bounced back strongly, defeating Denison University 7–1 later that day. They kept their momentum by sweeping Conn. College 9–0 on Dec. 6, marking their first NESCAC victory as they headed into the break.

The Red and Black experienced a setback in their first game back from the break, falling to a No. 18 Bowdoin squad. However, they quickly regained their composure, securing impressive road victories against the Camels and Mount Holyoke College with a combined score of 17–1. None of the Cardinals lost more than seven total points against Mount Holyoke, with Mira Bakshi ’26 losing only two points in her match at the #1 spot.

Avika Pande ’26 spoke on how the team built a sense of community on campus over the winter break.

“We watched shows together,” Pande said. “We all became obsessed, thanks to Jaclyn, with ‘Love Island Australia.’ So we have those moments.”

The Cardinals then faced a grueling schedule, with six games scheduled over the next nine days, including matchups against three ranked opponents. On Jan. 19, the Red and Black suffered a 2–7 loss to No. 17 Hobart and William Smith Colleges. However, they bounced back strongly, defeating Hamilton 7–2 the following day and sweeping Haverford College 9–0 on the subsequent day. This marked the Cardinals’ fourth sweep of the season, a feat they hadn’t achieved in five years. Julissa Mota ’26 dominated both of her matches, picking up wins in a total of 24 minutes of match time.

In between losses to No. 14 Williams and No. 13 Amherst, the Cardinals captured their biggest win of the year, defeating No. 19 Bates in a thrilling 5–4 match. Portia Pliam ’25 emerged victorious in her match with a flawless 3–0 performance, dominating her opponent with a commanding score of 33–6 across three sets. The outcome hinged on the performance of captain Marangela James ’24, who clinched a sweep in three tightly contested sets, sealing the team’s victory. Anand credits the win to pure determination. 

“We’re like, ‘We’re not losing,’” Anand said. “It was pretty massive because it was five [to] four, but the five that we won were pretty decisive matches, which is huge for us.”

In the NESCAC tournament, the Cardinals confronted the formidable No. 1 nationally ranked Trinity College. The Bantams displayed their dominance by sweeping the Cardinals, en route to clinching their 17th NESCAC championship title.

Captain Laila Kewalramani ’24 spoke on the team’s outlook after tough losses to ranked NESCAC opponents.

“We all played really well,” Kewalramani said. “And we had tough matches. So I think that didn’t really even demoralize us in any way. We still felt pretty strong going into the Walker Cup.”

The Walker Cup was held at the newly constructed Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center. The Cardinals, as the top seed, enjoyed a bye and did not play until the quarterfinals on Friday night, where they met the Continentals once again. While the Continentals claimed victory in the #1 and #2 spots, the Cardinals dominated the #3 through #9 slots, securing a decisive 7–2 win and progressing to the semifinals on Saturday.

The Red and Black clinched a nail-biting 5–4 victory, with Penelope Furnas ’27 delivering a thrilling performance in the #3 spot. Furnas’ remarkable win came in a five-set 42-minute match that saw a total of 97 points. This win sent the Cardinals to the finals, marking only the third time in team history they had reached this stage. In the upcoming final, they were slated to face the Diplomats, seeking redemption after their 4–5 loss earlier in the season.

Anand shed light on her mindset heading into the finals.

“I was definitely a little nervous, but watching the way people were coming together, taking care of each other and themselves before the match, I was feeling pretty confident that we had it,” Anand said.

As they have all year, the back end of the Cardinals’ lineup came through, picking up wins in spots #5 through #9. Kewalramani and James both captured three-set victories in their last-ever collegiate match, and Dichter also won in straight sets to pick up her team-high 14th win. Leandra Sze ’26 sealed the victory at #6, beating her opponent in a four-game battle.

This was the Cardinals’ first triumph at the Walker Cup and their first time appearing in the finals since 2013. They finished their season with a 12-8 record, improving on the 8-12 record they posted in the previous year. They ended up ranked an impressive 21st in the country, and they have their sights set even higher for next season. 

Kewalramani spoke on her experience as captain and how meaningful it was to end her athletic career on this note.

“Being captain has been so lovely with my co-captain Marangela James,” Kewalramani said. “[We have] been through so many different eras of this team. I’m really glad that I ended my athletic journey on this note…. I feel like I’ve become a more well-rounded person because of being captain, but also being an athlete, being a student, and just wanting to enjoy Wesleyan.”

 

Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.

Georgia Adams can be reached at gadams@wesleyan.edu.