PHILADELPHIA, Pa..—The Hobart College squash team opened the 2022 College Squash Association Team Championships with a pair of victories. The Statesmen did not drop a point as they defeated Haverford and Vassar, 9-0, to win Group 2 in the Conroy Cup. With the victories, Hobart advanced to the first-third place playoff where it will face Colby and Hamilton, which won Groups 1 and 3, respectively.
 
The Statesmen, who are ranked 26th in the latest College Squash Association team rankings, are now 9-9 overall this season after sweeping the Fords and the Brewers. Hobart lost only a pair of points on Friday, winning 16 of the 18 matches 3-0.
 
Hussein Labib was 2-0 at the top of the ladder for the Statesmen. In the match against Haverford, he defeated Quinton Ayres Crawford, 11-3, 11-7, 12-10. Later in the day, he defeated Vassar's Rithik Jalai, 11-4, 11-7, 11-6. Labib is now 9-7 this season, including a 3-2 mark in the No. 1 spot. Omar Kiwan improved to 8-4 in the No. 2 spot with his victories this afternoon. He opened the tournament with an 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 victory over the Fords' Noah Tunis. Kiwan followed that up with an 11-5, 11-1, 11-8 win over the Brewers' Sameer Mustafa. Mo Abdelhafez wrapped up the top third of the lineup with two wins in the No. 3 spot. He bested Haverford's Peter Lehv, 11-5, 11-7, 11-2, and then cruised past Vassar's Henry Mitchell, 11-1, 11-4, 11-2. Abdelhafez is 8-8 overall this season.
 
Joey Lantos, Giacomo Dalle Molle and James Mazzarelli competed in the middle of the lineup for Hobart. In the No. 4 spot, Lanto swept the Fords' Minor Reedich, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7, before cruising past Vassar's Patrick Looby, 11-2, 11-2, 11-4. Lantos is 9-8 overall this season. Dalle Molle played in the No. 5 spot today. In the Haverford match, he beat Benjamin Schlitz, 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7. Against Vassar, Dalle Molle beat Max Swan 11-2, 11-4, 11-4. With the win, Dalle Molle is now 8-9 on the season. With two wins this afternoon, Mazzarelli is now 10-8 on the season. Against the Fords, he topped John Collins, 11-3, 11-1, 10-12, 11-6. Later in the day, he only lost four points, besting Alex Wisneski, 11-1, 11-1, 11-2. Mazzarelli's 10 wins are tied for the team lead.
 
Roberto Vega, Sayf Elhawary and Quran Davis competed in the bottom third of the lineup. Roberto Vega played both matches in the No. 7 spot. He defeated Vassar's Jarid Haslinger, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5, and topped Haverford's Alden Weinberg, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6.  Vega is now 10-5 on the season, including a 6-2 mark in the No. 7 spot. Elhawary rolled past the Fords' Aaron Witkin, 11-0, 11-3, 11-7, before besting Vassar's Reese Collins, 11-1, 11-4, 11-2. Elhawary is a team-best 5-1 in the No. 8 spot. Davis defeated Haverford's Zadoc Bond, 11-2, 13-11, 11-2, and swept Vassar's Azaan Malik, 11-7, 11-4, 11-7. Davis is 5-3 overall this season.
 
Hobart will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 19, when it takes on Hamilton. The match is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the University of Pennsylvania. Hobart will wrap up the tournament on Sunday, Feb. 20, when it takes on Colby at 8:30 a.m.