No. 9 Women's Squash Crowned Kurtz Cup Champions with 6-3 Win over No. 10 Dartmouth

Sunday, February 18

Cambridge, Mass.

11 a.m.

Drexel University

No. 10 Dartmouth

No. 9 Women's Squash Crowned Kurtz Cup Champions with 6-3 Win over No. 10 Dartmouth

2/18/2018 2:25:00 PM | Women's Squash

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The No. 9 Drexel women's squash team overcame No. 10 Dartmouth, 6-3, Sunday afternoon in Cambridge, Mass. to win the Kurtz Cup B Division title for the first time in program history. Dartmouth had gotten the best of the Dragons in the Kurtz Cup final in each of the last two years, but this year it was the Dragons' turn to hoist the cup. Drexel finished the year on a six-match winning streak to bring its overall record to 11-8.

The Dragons took matches at the top six positions to take the match overall. Although the Dragons dropped the bottom three matches, all three Drexel players came back from first-game losses to force either four or five games. With her win today at No. 4, freshman Hannah Blatt set the single-season wins record (16).

In the top spot, Anna Hughes battled back from two games down to outlast Anne Blasberg, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8. Hayley Hughes then held down No. 2 with an 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 sweep of Rebecca Brownell, before Ryan Morgan made quick work of Sandra Reiss at No. 3, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5. The win for Hughes was the 46th of her career, tying her with Mary Fung-a-Fat for second most in program history, while Morgan's win pushed her program-best total to 51 victories. At No. 4, Blatt then cruised to an 11-6, 11-2, 11-4 sweep over Brynn Bank. The win for Blatt was her 16th of the season, the most ever by a Drexel women's squash player in a single season, breaking a tie with Morgan and Fiona Power. Ona Prokes finished off a four-game win over Janel Gaube at No. 5, 12-10, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, for her seventh match in a row. At No. 7, Power held off Julia Potter for a four-game victory, 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6.

To get to the Kurtz Cup final, the Dragons swept No. 16 Amherst in the opening round Friday night, 9-0, before downing No. 13 Brown on Saturday, 7-2. That set up Sunday's finale with the Big Green. Drexel and Dartmouth had met in the Kurtz Cup final in 2016 and 2017, but the BIg Green came away with 5-4 wins in both. This year, the Dragons overcame the Big Green to win their first title.

The Dragons turn their attention next to the Individual Championships in Washington, D.C. on March 2-4.

No. 9 Drexel 6, No. 10 Dartmouth 3
Anna Hughes (DU) DEF Anne Blasberg (DART), 6-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8
Hayley Hughes (DU) DEF Rebecca Brownell (DART), 11-8, 11-9, 11-9
Ryan Morgan (DU) DEF Sandra Reiss (DART), 11-7, 11-5, 11-5
Hannah Blatt (DU) DEF Brynn Bank (DART), 11-6, 11-2, 11-4
Ona Prokes (DU) DEF Janel Gaube (DART), 12-10, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7
Fiona Power (DU) DEF Julia Potter (DART), 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6
Ellie Gozigian (DART) DEF Stephanie Ryan (DU), 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-4
Emma Roberts (DART) DEF Apoorva Addepalli (DU), 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5
Zainab Molani (DART) DEF Emma MacGillivray (DU), 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4