HADLEY, Mass. – Trinity College is the top seed in the 2024 NESCAC Women’s Squash Championship which will be hosted by Amherst College on February 10 and 11. The top eight teams in the conference based on ELO rankings will compete for the title in a single-elimination tournament. Quarterfinal matches are set to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 10. The semifinals and final are set to be played on Sunday, February 11.
2023 NESCAC Championship Recap
The top-seeded Trinity Bantams extended their streak of NESCAC Championship titles to 16 straight with a 9-0 win over No. 2 Tufts in the final at the Simon Squash Center at Williams College. The Bantams did not allow a point in three matches on their way to the NESCAC crown. Tufts finished as the NESCAC Runners-Up for the second straight year after advancing to the championship match for the first time in program history in 2022. The Jumbos reached their second straight championship match with a 9-0 win over No. 7 Colby in the quarterfinals and a 6-3 victory over No. 3 Williams in the semifinals.
Trinity has won every NESCAC Championship since the tournament’s inception in 2007. Only four other teams have played in the championship match in the tournament's history – Bates (2014), Middlebury (2011), Tufts (2023), and Williams (11 times – last: 2020).
#1 Trinity Bantams
2023-24 Record: 10-0
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 16 consecutive
NESCAC Titles Won: 16 consecutive
Notes: Trinity is the No. 1 seed for the 17th straight tournament and will face No. 8 Wesleyan to open its NESCAC Championship for the second year in a row … The two teams did not meet in the regular season and the Bantams are 5-0 versus the Cardinals in the NESCAC Tournament following a 9-0 win in last year’s quarterfinals … Trinity has won every NESCAC Women’s Squash title since the tournament began in 2007 … The Bantams enter the NESCAC Championship with an unblemished mark of 10-0.
#2 Tufts Jumbos
2023-24 Record: 10-4
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2023)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Tufts is the No. 2 seed for the third straight year, and it matches the highest seed in program history … The Jumbos, who are making their 17th straight appearance in the tournament, will play No. 7 Bates in the quarterfinals … Tufts defeated the Bobcats, 6-3 on February 3, but are 1-4 against Bates in the NESCAC Tournament series … The Jumbos suffered a 5-4 loss to the Bobcats in the 2019 fifth-place match the last time the teams played … Tufts is 8-2 in its last 10 matches heading into to a February 6 matchup versus Harvard … A win over the Bobcats would propel Jumbos into the semifinals for the third consecutive season.
#3 Middlebury Panthers
2023-24 Record: 12-2
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 1 (2011)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Middlebury is the No. 3 seed for the first time since 2019 and faces No. 6 Bowdoin in its opening match of the 2024 NESCAC Championship … The Panthers defeated the Polar Bears, 7-2, on January 14 … Middlebury suffered a 7-2 loss to Bowdoin in the 2022 consolation round to fall to 1-3 against the Polar Bears in the NESCAC Tournament … The Panthers put together a nine-match win streak this season and are 10-1 entering a February 7 match versus Dartmouth … Middlebury, which has qualified for every NESCAC Tournament, has reached the semifinals in 12 of the last 14 tournaments and played for the NESCAC title in 2011.
#4 Amherst Mammoths
2023-24 Record: 12-7
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Amherst is hosting the NESCAC Championship for the first time since 2017 and is the No. 4 seed for the second consecutive year … The Mammoths will square off against No. 5 Williams in the quarterfinals … The Mammoths pulled out a 5-4 win over their archrival on February 2 but are 0-5 against the Ephs in the NESCAC Championship … The Ephs posted a 5-4 win in the last meeting in the 2022 third-place match … Amherst closed out the regular season winning seven of its last eight matches … The Mammoths have appeared in every NESCAC Championship and have reached five straight semifinals.
#5 Williams Ephs
2023-24 Record: 8-9
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 11 (6 straight 2015-2020)
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Williams is the No. 5 seed for the first time in program history and is making its 17th consecutive appearance in the NESCAC Champions … The Ephs open the 2024 tournament against their archrival No. 4 Amherst … Williams dropped a 5-4 decision to the Mammoths on February 2 but are unbeaten against Amherst in the NESCAC Tournament with a perfect 5-0 mark … The Ephs earned their fifth win in the tournament series with a 5-4 victory in the third-place match in 2022 … Williams has reached the semifinals in every NESCAC Tournament and has played for the title 11 times.
#6 Bowdoin Polar Bears
2023-24 Record: 7-6
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Bowdoin is the No. 6 seed for the third consecutive season and will play No. 3 Middlebury to open its NESCAC Championship … The Polar Bears fell, 7-2, to the Panthers on January 14 … Bowdoin handed Middlebury a 7-2 loss in the 2022 consolation round to improve to 3-1 against the Panthers in the NESCAC Tournament … A win over Middlebury would mark Bowdon’s first semifinal appearance since 2009 … Bowdoin, which has qualified for every NESCAC Championship, has won three straight matches entering the NESCAC Championship.
#7 Bates Bobcats
2023-24 Record: 6-9
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Bates is the No. 7 seed for the first time since 2016 and is making its 16th appearance in the NESCAC Championship … The Bobcats will play No. 2 Tufts in the quarterfinals, a team they fell to, 6-3, in the final regular season match on February 3 … Bates is 5-1 against the Jumbos in the NESCAC Tournament series, but the teams have not faced each other since the 2020 fifth-place match which Bates triumphed, 6-3 … The Bobcats are looking to return to the semifinals for the first time since 2017.
#8 Wesleyan Cardinals
2023-24 Record: 9-7
NESCAC Finals Appearances: 0
NESCAC Titles Won: 0
Notes: Wesleyan is the No. 8 seed for the second year in a row and will play top-seeded Trinity … The two teams did not meet in the regular season … The Bantams are 5-0 versus the Cardinals in the NESCAC Tournament following a 9-0 win in last year’s quarterfinals.
