The University of Pennsylvania men’s squash team is set to begin its 2025-26 season this weekend, aiming to defend its Potter Cup national championship title. The Quakers have been ranked number one in the College Squash Association’s preseason rankings.
Penn will face Haverford on Friday at 5 p.m., Franklin and Marshall on Saturday at 11 a.m., and will play a doubleheader against Chatham and Dickinson on Sunday at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Last season, Penn completed an undefeated run with a 20-0 record, culminating in a 6-3 win over Yale in the Potter Cup final. This marked the first time in program history that the team finished both the regular season and postseason without any losses. The team now seeks its third consecutive national championship under head coach Gilly Lane, who is entering his tenth year with the program.
Key players returning include junior Salman Khalil, last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year; sophomore Marwan Abdelsalam, who was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year for 2024; and senior captain Omar Hafez, who was First Team All-Ivy last year and ranks sixth all-time in program wins with 51 victories. Other returners are Hao Cui (8-0 record in 2024), Varun Chitturi (15-1), Ben Mathias (6-0), Kyle Penman (6-0), and Jat Tse (5-0).
New additions to the roster consist of freshmen Alexander Dartnell, Phillip Dartnell, Henry Fogel, Will Newman, as well as Gregory Malsang—a transfer from St. Lawrence University who was named Liberty League Rookie of the Year last season.
Coach Gilly Lane said that expectations are high following last year’s historic success: “The Red and Blue head into the 2025 season with high expectations after the most successful season in program history last year.”
