HANOVER, N.H. - The No. 10 Tufts University women's squash team delivered a gritty, back-and-forth performance Saturday afternoon at the Berry Sports Center, but host No. 11 Dartmouth narrowly escaped with a 5-4 decision.
The Jumbos (9-5) earned four singles victories and pushed several other matches deep, highlighting a competitive dual between nationally ranked programs.
Tufts struck early momentum at the bottom of the ladder.
Anika Parr set the tone with a commanding straight-games win at No. 9, 13-1, 11-6, 11-5, overcoming a tight opening frame to put the Jumbos on the board. At No. 4,
Ella Hill rebounded from a first-game setback to take the next three, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9, showcasing poise in the late stages of consecutive games to give Tufts a 2-0 edge in completed matches.
The Jumbos added another point at No. 1, where
Vharsha Dinesh controlled play after splitting the first two games and pulled away decisively in the fourth, 11-1, to defeat Maria Velasquez in four.
Tufts' fourth victory came at No. 5 in one of the day's most competitive contests, as
Anika Goyal outlasted Maya Mansoor, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10. Goyal's resilience in a pressure-packed fourth game preserved Tufts' chances deep into the afternoon.
Dartmouth ultimately secured the team result with wins across the middle of the order. The Big Green captured straight-game victories at Nos. 2 and 6, while also prevailing in three tightly contested matches that extended to four or five games. At No. 3,
Sohni Vermani forced a decisive fifth, and at No. 8,
Indira Moshi battled through multiple deuce scenarios before Dartmouth narrowly claimed the point, 12-10 in the fourth.
Tufts now looks forward to the 2026 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championships next Saturday and Sunday at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.
#11 Dartmouth College 5, #10 Tufts University 4
2/8/2026 at Hanover, NH (Berry Sports Center)
1.
Vharsha Dinesh (TUFTSWSQ) def. Maria Velasquez (DART) 11-9, 11-4, 8-11, 11-1
2. Ziyi Liu (DART) def.
Maria Arseniev (TUFTSWSQ) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9
3. Eleanor Clifford (DART) def.
Sohni Vermani (TUFTSWSQ) 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-2
4.
Ella Hill (TUFTSWSQ) def. Maya Shroff (DART) 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9
5.
Anika Goyal (TUFTSWSQ) def. Maya Mansoor (DART) 11-5, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10
6. Nathalie Taylor (DART) def.
Chloe Bergam (TUFTSWSQ) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
7. Kriti Muthu (DART) def.
Sejal Virk (TUFTSWSQ) 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5
8. Callie Worth (DART) def.
Indira Moshi (TUFTSWSQ) 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10
9.
Anika Parr (TUFTSWSQ) def. Uma Patnaik (DART) 13-11, 11-6, 11-5
Exh. Zayna Usman (DART) def.
Sora Karanja (TUFTSWSQ) 11-5, 10-12, 11-5, 11-9
Match Notes
Tufts University 9-5; National ranking #10
Dartmouth College 5-6; National ranking #11
Order of finish: Singles (9,4,1,6,7,3,8,5,2)
T-2:20 A-80
--JUMBOS--
