Denison captures 2026 Liberty League Women's Squash Championship; Big Red outlasts St. Lawrence with 5-4 victory

CANTON, N.Y. -  Coming off two 9-0 wins over Haverford College and Vassar College on the opening day of the 2026 Liberty League Championship, the Denison University women’s squash team battled St. Lawrence University on Sunday in the title match. With a hard-fought 5-4 victory, the Big Red captured the 2026 Liberty League Women's Squash title, the team's first conference championship in program history.

Denison sophomore captain Charlotte Jones was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer after posting a perfect 3-0 record over the weekend at the No. 1 position.

Denison entered the tournament seeking its first conference championship title and with hopes of facing off against the reigning champion Saints. Ultimately, the Big Red held off the Saints in the championship match with a 5-4 victory. The Big Red improves to 11-3 overall and St. Lawrence drops to 10-5.

Denison 5, St. Lawrence 4

Playing a five-court system, courts 1, 8, 9, and 6 started the match. Charlotte Jones (No. 1) and Lane Harding (No. 6) collected the first two wins of the day for an early 2-0 Denison team lead. The Saints, looking for their second consecutive and sixth overall title did not back down and knotted the game at two-all with victories on courts two and five. 

St. Lawrence then jumped ahead to a 4-2 lead after securing individual wins on courts three and four, but Denison quickly trimmed its deficit to one (4-3) when Kate Manderlink's opponent retired at No. 7. Minutes later, Nicole Smith (No. 9) tied the match (4-4) after coming from behind with a 3-2 win. In the final match of the day, Tess Lanza, from the No. 8 position, stifled Ksenia Merkulova's comeback with an emphatic 11-6 victory for the 3-2 individual win, which clinched the team victory for Denison.