When SCH senior Eloise Levin steps onto the show court at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, she won’t just be playing another tournament. She will be stepping into the professional squash world for the first time.
Twenty-four of the world’s top women’s squash players will be competing at this year’s Professional Squash Association’s Chestnut Hill Classic, an event sponsored by the McCausland Foundation. The event is hosted at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Spanning eight different countries, this silver-level event, sponsored by SCH, attracts top talent as well as some younger rising stars within the sport. From November 17–21, matches will be going on all evening, with the final at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 21.
This event has been elevated since last year, from a bronze-level tournament to a silver-level tournament. This means a high caliber of players will be competing compared to past years, as well as a doubled prize pool of $86,250.
SCH and PCC head coach Stuart George emphasized how big a moment this is, not just for the sport, but for “our community as a whole.” He expects our students to show up in a big way for this event and make the tournament “electric.”
Not only will this tournament feature some of the world’s best, but also SCH’s own Eloise Levin. Currently ranked 28th in the country for U19 girls, this will be Levin’s first professional tournament. She is very experienced playing in high-level junior tournaments, but this is definitely a step above any competition she has faced before.
Most mornings, Levin can be found on the courts, in the gym, or going for a run before school. These routines of discipline have become a staple for her, shaping her both as a person and as a squash player. She is elevating her already intense training schedule to prepare for this “amazing opportunity,” and she couldn’t help but express how “super excited” she is for this challenge.
Levin has been training and learning from current Penn women’s squash player Allie Stoddard ’24, who also competed in this event her senior year at SCH. Stoddard has been a great role model for her and has given her the advice of “enjoying the moment.”
Levin is matched in the first round with Stoddard’s teammate at Penn, Malak Khafagy. Khafagy is the number-one player at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently ranked number 25 in the world. Levin knows that this will “be a step up” in competition, but she is ready for the moment.
Levin won’t be the only familiar face on court. Sharing the other wildcard spot with her is SCH and Philadelphia Cricket Club coach Menna Nasser. Former world-ranked No. 49, Nasser knows the level required to compete at this level and has gone back to her professional preparation ways in recent months. Not only does Nasser have over 10 years of experience playing on the tour, but she also competed in the Chestnut Hill Classic last year.
After losing in the first round last year, Nasser is more motivated to get back to a competitive level, and she has been putting in the work to do so. She has been training with the top junior players and coaches at the club. From going on a run during a break from lessons to intense training sessions with her fellow coaches, Nasser has been working tirelessly to return to her competitive level, which she knows she is capable of achieving.
As Nasser and Levin continue their preparations for their first-round matches on Monday, November 17, excitement is building around SCH, PCC, and the greater Chestnut Hill community. Their journeys, one just beginning and one restarting, show how far commitment to the sport can go. No matter the outcome, their presence at the Chestnut Hill Classic is already a win for our community.
