PHILADELPHIA (March 6, 2026) -- The No. 11 Tufts University men's squash team battled down to the final match but came up just short in a 5-4 loss to No. 10 Cornell University on Friday in the consolation round of the CSA National Team Championships at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
The Jumbos produced four victories on the day and pushed several other matches deep into the contest, highlighting the competitiveness between the two closely ranked programs. Cornell improved to 6-10 on the season with the win, while Tufts moved to 12-8 overall.
Tufts struck first at the top of the ladder as senior Santiago Carrillo earned the point at No. 1 after leading Syan Singh 11-7, 5-11 before Singh was forced to retire in the third game. Carrillo's performance gave the Jumbos early momentum in the tightly contested match.
The Jumbos also delivered strong performances in the lower half of the lineup. At No. 7, Aarav Gill secured a convincing straight-game victory over Jeh Pandole, winning 11-6, 11-6, 11-9. Ali Tarek followed with another decisive result at No. 8, defeating Vivaan Shah 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 to give Tufts another point.
One of the most impressive efforts of the afternoon came from Jared Chin at the No. 5 position. After dropping the opening game, Chin responded by taking the next two before Cornell forced a deciding fifth. Chin controlled the final frame to close out a 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 4-11, 11-3 victory and keep Tufts within striking distance.
Several other matches proved to be highly competitive battles. Nachiket Desai pushed Cornell's Youssef Sarhan to four tightly contested games at No. 2, including an 18-16 marathon opening game, while Rohan Valia also claimed a game in his match at No. 3 before Cornell secured the point.
The final margin came down to a handful of key rallies, as Cornell earned wins at Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 to narrowly take the match. Despite the result, the Jumbos showed resilience throughout the lineup, recording four wins and multiple close contests against a top-10 opponent on the national stage.
Tufts will finish play in the CSA National Team Championships consolation bracket Saturday, taking on No. 12 Williams College in the play-off round for the 11th position.Â
#10 Cornell University 5, #11 Tufts University 4
3/6/2026 at Philadelphia, PA (Arlen Specter US Squash Center)
1. Santiago Carrillo (TUFTSMSQ) def. Syan Singh (COR) 11-7, 5-11, 3-4, retired
2. Youssef Sarhan (COR) def. Nachiket Desai (TUFTSMSQ) 18-16, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7
3. Aly Ezzat (COR) def. Rohan Valia (TUFTSMSQ) 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7
4. Roman Bicknell (COR) def. Milo Friedman (TUFTSMSQ) 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6
5. Jared Chin (TUFTSMSQ) def. Arnav Tevatia (COR) 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 4-11, 11-3
6. Edward Thng (COR) def. Mustafa Ayaz (TUFTSMSQ) 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9
7. Aarav Gill (TUFTSMSQ) def. Jeh Pandole (COR) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9
8. Ali Tarek (TUFTSMSQ) def. Vivaan Shah (COR) 11-6, 11-7, 11-7
9. Vedant Chheda (COR) def. Shivin Kumar (TUFTSMSQ) 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10
Match Notes
Cornell University 6-10; National ranking #10
Tufts University 12-8; National ranking #11
T-2:45 A-200
--JUMBOS--
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