UVA head coach Mark Allen announced the addition of seven incoming student-athletes to the 2019-20 men’s and women’s squash rosters on Wednesday.
“Each year our program improves, it opens up the opportunity to recruit at a higher and higher level,” Allen said. “Our incoming class of student-athletes builds upon last year’s strong recruiting class and with leadership from our third and fourth-years, I believe that we will challenge for a finishing position in the top division of both the men’s and women’s national championships this coming season. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.”
The women’s team will welcome three incoming athletes as Maria Moya, Grace Seymour and Julia Curran join the squad. Aly Hussein, Cullen Little, Tyler Mackesy and Omar El Torkey will join the men’s team as the class of 2023.
Julia Curran (Bronxville, N.Y.)
Curran made back-to-back appearance at the U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships, with her best performance occurring in 2018 with an advancement to the Round of 32. With her high school team, Bronxville, Curran posted a 5-3 record during the 2018-19 season playing at either the No. 3 and No. 5 position. She has held a top 25 U.S. Squash ranking since 2014, entering the 2019-20 season ranked 24th among U19 athletes.
Aly Hussein (Cairo, Egypt)
A high school All-American, Hussein competed at four U.S. Junior Squash Championships, finishing as the U19 runner-up in 2018, the U17 runner-up in 2016 and the U15 runner-up in 2014. He also advanced to the semifinals at the U.S. Junior Squash U19 Championships in 2017 and was a quarterfinalist that same year at the World Junior Championships in New Zealand. Hussein won the New England title in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and was named the MVP for all three seasons. He recorded three undefeated seasons during his high school career while playing as Tabor Academy’s No. 1. He ranks second in the U.S. Squash men’s 20-plus age group and ranks fourth overall according to the organization.
Cullen Little (Baltimore, Md.)
A two-time member of the United States Junior National Team, Little represented the U.S. at the Battle of the Border in Ontario, Canada, and the Pan American Championships in Brasilia, Brazil. He captured two medals at the Pan American Championships, earning bronze in the team competition and in mixed doubles play. He earned All-America honors his sophomore year and was named a four-time All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) conference selection. Cullen ranks 14th in the U.S. Squash BU19 rankings.
Tyler Mackesy (Bronxville, N.Y.)
Mackesy concluded his high school career on a strong note, earning first-team All-New England honors. The four-year starter at Hotchkiss captured the 2018-19 George E. Haines ’38 Squash Trophy for winning the Hotchkiss boys’ squash tournament and the 2019 Squash Prize for being the team MVP. He concluded his high school career with a 70-23 overall record, winning 75 percent of his matches. As a senior at Hotchkiss, Mackesy recorded an 11-5 record playing in the No. 1 spot. He was named a U.S. Squash Scholar Athlete all four years of his high school career.
Maria Moya (Ambato, Ecuador)
Moya enters her collegiate career as the Pan American U19 champion and U19 Mixed Doubles runner-up, representing Ecuador at the international competition. As an individual, she advanced to the finals after capturing a 3-0 win in the quarterfinals and a 3-1 victory in the semifinals. In addition to her Pan American title, Moya is the 2018 Canadian Junior U19 Open champion. She advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Junior Open Squash Championships, playing in the U17 and U19 age groups, respectively. Moya is the 26th ranked junior squash player in the world according to the Professional Squash Association.
Grace Seymour (Brooklyn Heights, New York)
Seymour competed at the U.S. U19 Junior Squash Championships, where she fell in the second round of the consolation finals, and the Frank Millet Junior GU19 Championships, where she advanced to the Round of 16. Seymour finished as the U19 runner-up at the Baird E Haney Brooklyn Junior Gold Tournament, winning four matches to advance to the finals. She also recorded a sixth-place finish at the Pioneer Junior Squash Cup. She served as the team captain for Packer Collegiate Institute, competing on the Boys Varsity Division. Seymour played as the No. 2 for the Packer Collegiate Institute during the year, recording a 4-6 record with the team.
Omar El Torkey (New Cairo, Egypt)
The top Egyptian junior player for the 2018-19 season, Torkey captured a bronze medal in the individual championships at both the 2018 and 2019 World Junior Championships, in addition to helping Egypt win a gold medal in the team championships at the 2018 tournament. He won the 2016 BU15 British Junior Open and placed second at both the 2017 and 2018 BU17 British Junior Open. Torkey was also the runner-up at the 2016 Germany Junior Open. Since 2015 he has won 11 national tournament titles, capturing seven of those victories in the past three seasons.
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