The University of Rochester squash team got its 2021-22 season off to a rousing start, defeating visiting Hobart College 9-0 on Wednesday evening at the Lyman Squash Center.
 
All nine matches went just three games in favor of the Yellowjackets (1-0) who were competing in their first match since the end of the 2019-20 season due to the cancellation of the college squash schedule last year.
 
Wednesday's victory also was the first in the coaching career of new head coach Mario Yanez Tapia.
 
Only four of UR's ten players in the lineup entered the contest with college match experience, so it was a good start to the careers of the young Yellowjacket ladder.
 
Rochester's two most experienced players played the top two positions, and each making quick work of their opponents. Co-captain Abdelrahman Lasheen earned the match clinching fifth point at #2 with a 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 victory over Omar Kiwan. Cesar Segundo was a 3-0 winner at #1, posting scores of 11-2, 11-5 and 11-3 against Joey Lantos.
 
UR's opening three points came from Omar Zakaria at #5, Yash Fadte at #3 and Quinlan Jeudy at #7. Zakaria defeated Giacomo Dalle Molle 11-4, 11-7 and 11-7 while Fadte posted an impressive 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 line score. Jeudy was part of the closest game of the match, winning 12-10 in the opening set, but settled in for 11-3 and 11-5 wins to sweep Cameron Temoyan.
 
Jake Koeppel made it 4-0 Rochester with a sweep of Sayf Elhawary at #4, losing just eight points total in the three games, setting up Lasheen for the clinching victory.
 
Rounding out the sweep for UR was Tom Whiteley at #9, winning 3-0 over Quran Davis (11-1, 11-0, 11-3), Emilio Carrillo defeating Roberto Vega at #6 (11-3, 11-5, 11-4) and Alejandro Porras topping James Mazzarelli at #8 (11-5, 11-6, 11-3).
 
In the exhibition tenth match, UR also earned a 3-0 win from Varun Kumar.
 
Rochester returns to the Lyman courts on Sunday for a top-10 matchup with defending 2019-20 national champion Harvard at noon. The Crimson is ranked #2 in the 2021-22 CSA preseason poll, while Rochester checks in at #10.