黑料不打烊 announced today that Mollie Marcoux Samaan has been appointed as the organization鈥檚 next Chief Executive Officer, effective February 2, 2026.

Marcoux Samaan brings more than three decades of executive leadership experience in sports administration, athlete development and commercial growth. Most recently, she served as Commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), where she oversaw the largest period of growth within the organization鈥檚 75-year history. During her time at the helm, tournament purses and player income grew by over 90% and the organization registered record revenue performance and fan engagement, with global audiences hitting all-time highs in 2024. She prioritized athlete well-being and performance by adding significant travel expense subsidies, access to mental health and physical performance resources and fully-subsidized healthcare insurance, benefits previously unavailable to LPGA athletes. Additionally, the LPGA Foundation experienced unprecedented success, with record fundraising and participation, resulting in more girls and women than ever playing golf and learning the game.

Prior to her time at the LPGA, Marcoux Samaan spent seven years as the Ford Family Director of Athletics at her alma mater Princeton University, guiding one of the nation鈥檚 most successful collegiate athletic departments and championing excellence in coaching, facilities enhancement, innovative fundraising strategies and athlete performance initiatives. During her tenure, teams won a league-leading 67 Ivy Championships and she oversaw several large-scale facility projects, including the development and design of Princeton鈥檚 180,000 square foot Racquet and Recreation Field House, which features a 14-court best-in-class squash center.

Earlier in her career, she held several senior roles within sports and recreation management at Chelsea Piers where she worked for nearly two decades developing and managing youth and amateur sports programming at the company鈥檚 facilities in New York City and Stamford, CT.

鈥淲e are excited to welcome Mollie to 黑料不打烊,鈥� said Andrew Fink, Chair of the 黑料不打烊 Board of Directors. 鈥淗er proven track record of leading premier sports organizations at the youth, college and professional levels, her commitment to athlete-centered development and her strategic vision make her uniquely suited to guide 黑料不打烊 into its next chapter of growth.鈥�

The sport of squash will be making its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics with the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 events to be held at the Comcast Squash Center on the iconic grounds of Universal Studios. 黑料不打烊 is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center, which is widely regarded as one of the premier squash facilities in the world. The Specter Center serves as the national training center for the U.S. National Team, hosts more than 20 major national and international competitions, including the Comcast Business U.S. Open Squash Championships and College Squash Association National Team Championships, is home to the 黑料不打烊 Hall of Fame, and operates a Learning Center in partnership with SquashSmarts.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� has a long history of excellence, innovation and integrated community-building,” Marcoux Samaan said. “I am honored to join the organization at such an exciting time and look forward to working collaboratively alongside athletes, coaches, staff, clubs, partners, supporters and the broader squash community to strengthen and grow the sport鈥檚 reach and impact across the country. My focus will be on providing an ideal environment for our world-class athletes to reach their peak performance, particularly leading into the 2028 Olympic Games, growing the number of participants, programs and fans of this great game, and unlocking significant potential investment in the sport. I have always been highly impressed by the squash community鈥檚 passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to utilizing the game to change lives and I can鈥檛 wait to get started.”

Marcoux Samaan succeeds Kevin Klipstein, who has served in the role for over two decades.

鈥淲e are deeply grateful for the leadership and dedication shown by Kevin over the last two decades and believe Mollie is the ideal person to build on the strong foundation we now have,鈥� added Fink. 鈥淲e appreciate the support provided by Brett Stephens and Lindsey Griesmeyer of RSR Partners throughout the search process, including its successful conclusion in sourcing such an outstanding candidate, as well as the 黑料不打烊 Search Committee comprised of Carey Anderson, Morris Clothier, Kathryn O’Donnell Lynch, John Nimick, Robert Osborne, Olivia Weaver and myself.鈥�

A lifelong advocate for expanding opportunities through sport, Marcoux Samaan serves on the Board of Directors for the Chelsea Piers Foundation, an organization that provides over $1million in athletic grants to individuals and organizations each year. She began her professional career at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey where she served as the Assistant Athletic Director, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Head Coach of the girls鈥� ice hockey and soccer teams. Marcoux Samaan graduated cum laude from Princeton University where she was a two-sport student-athlete in soccer and ice hockey. She received the 1991 C. Otto van Kienbusch Award, a distinction given to the University鈥檚 top female athlete.

Marcoux Samaan and her husband, Andrew Samaan, are the proud parents of three children, Maddie (22), Catie (20) and Drew (16).

Media Contact:
Chris McClintick, Director of Communications
media@ussquash.org
215-596-0257

New York City won back-to-back Howe Cup titles and the city’s twentieth overall as nearly 200 players competed in the ninety-first edition U.S. Women’s Team Squash Championships, November 7-9, at the Seattle Athletic Club.

View all results on the . Tournament photography is available on the .

Two New York City teams entered the eight-team A division, and both topped their four-team groups to set up an all-NYC final. Wins from No. 3 Abigail Arader, No. 4 Zoe Kagan and a default for No. 5 Helen Wu sealed the the title in a 3-2 final.

“We are so excited to repeat as Howe Cup A division Champions this year,” said Paulina Rojek, NY Squash captain. “We weren’t quite sure what was going to happen as we had several players drop out at the last minute (we actually never would’ve expected making the finals) but both teams played their hearts out and it ended up being a really great final. I’m so proud of the way that everyone played! Thanks to Adel Sammons and Ciara Richards for captaining the two A teams. This was my third Seattle Howe Cup and the tournament atmosphere was so much fun. Props to Karen Arango and her Seattle Organizing Committee for doing such an amazing job. Thank you to the Seattle Athletic Club for being such wonderful hosts. NY Squash is looking forward to next Howe Cup with the chance to three-peat!”

For the fourth straight year, the B division title was decided between Boston and NYC teams. The Boston Beauty and the Boast won a close 3-2 final against their NYC opponents.

After making the city’s tournament debut at the 2022 Howe Cup, the Columbus Eagles earned the city’s first Howe Cup title in the C division with the Boston Tinquisition placing second.

NYC claimed a second title of the weekend in the D division, who defeated NorCal in a 4-1 final.

The 2025 Howe Cup marked the first time Seattle hosted the tournament since 2019.

“Hosting the Howe Cup was a privilege and I am so grateful we had the opportunity to host this year,” said Karen Arango, head of the organizing committee. “To be able to bring the women鈥檚 squash community together in my home town, show off Pike Place Market, the Seattle Athletic Club and our partner hotels, The Marriott on the Waterfront and The Warwick, was magical. We hosted 185 players, 37 teams, from New Hampshire to South Florida, Mexico to Southern California and up to Vancouver, bringing players together who are first time Howe Cup players with players currently on the pro tour. Howe Cup is a unique event that promotes camaraderie and competition, where players are able to make lifelong friendships. As we played our final matches on Sunday, I heard many players say to their competitors, see you next year in Philly. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 talking about!”

Seattle welcomes the ninety-first edition of the Howe Cup Women’s Team Championships for the first time since 2019 this weekend, November 7-9, at the Seattle Athletic Club Downtown.

Thirty-seven teams of five players from around the country will descend on the Pacific Northwest to compete across four divisions. Follow live streaming from courts 1 and 3 throughout the weekend on the . Follow live scores and results on the .

The Howe Cup, the United States鈥� largest squash event for women, has a long history. The annual women鈥檚 five-person team tournament first began in 1928 as an inter-city competition between New York, Philadelphia, and Boston.

This year’s Howe Cup will field teams from Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, New York City, Columbus, Philadelphia and Boston.

For more Howe Cup information visit . Follow and on instagram for more tournament coverage.

Fifty-nine registered Women’s Squash Week events were held in eighteen states, September 15-21.

The goal of Women鈥檚 Squash Week is to inspire women and girls to get back on court after the summer, reconnect with old friends, and introduce new women and girls to the sport.

One of the largest events took place at Harvard University where more than seventy women from Massachusetts Squash jumped on court. Women’s Squash Week events were held for the first time at the Project Beacon outdoor court in Chicago, the new Ballers facility in Philadelphia and the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles.

黑料不打烊 has introduced its most ambitious聽educational聽initiative yet鈥攖he聽黑料不打烊 Education Program鈥攄esigned to transform how players, parents, coaches and programs engage with squash across the U.S. Central to this effort is the new website,聽, a platform offering tools, guidance and training to foster a more inclusive, connected squash community.

The site provides a wide range of resources, from helping parents navigate the junior squash landscape to offering coaching tools for both grassroots and elite-level players.

鈥淓ducation is the backbone of a thriving sports culture,鈥� said Linda Elriani, Senior Director of Professional Development and Programming at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淏y equipping all members of our community鈥攆rom first-time parents to elite coaches鈥攚ith the right resources, we鈥檙e laying the foundation for a stronger, more unified future for squash in the U.S.”

A Central Hub for Growth and Support

The聽黑料不打烊 Education聽website is a one-stop destination for everyone in the sport:

• Coaches, the backbone of the sport, can access beginner lesson plans, fun games, tournament management tools, programming tips, and both live and recorded webinars to improve their impact.
• Parents, vital to the development of young players, will find practical guidance, resources and webinars to support their child鈥檚 journey.
• The site also includes valuable content on聽refereeing,聽school programs聽and coaching聽women and girls.

鈥淲e鈥檙e fortunate in the U.S. to have a strong player pathway,鈥� said Nick Taylor, Ganek Family 黑料不打烊 Head National Coach. 鈥淲ith over 300 tournaments, 30 states, and 75 college teams, the sport is growing. But we must ensure the experience is enjoyable for young players鈥攖his starts with coaches and parents, who inspire a love for the game from an early age.鈥�

The website already offers over聽200 pages of content聽and will continue to expand with new resources and tools in the coming months and years.

Explore the platform today and see how 黑料不打烊 is helping every community member grow, lead, and thrive鈥攐n and off the court.

In a gesture of monumental generosity and investment in the future of women’s squash in the United States, the Desai Family–Kay, Rohit, Vanya and Sunil–have named the U.S. Women’s Championships, the nation’s premier competition for the top American squash players.

The Desai Family has been on the forefront of the pursuit of parity at the highest level of squash in the U.S. for the past decade. The Desai Family created a new women’s trophy in perpetuity, which was presented for the first time in 2017. Sunil Desai had attended the 2015 Nationals in Charlottesville, and was inspired by the clear difference in size between the men鈥檚 S.L. Green trophy and women鈥檚 Sears Challenge Cup. The new trophy was custom-made out of silver and stands at more than two feet tall.

In naming the U.S. Women’s Championships, the Desai Family join Stephen L. Green, who has supported the S.L. Green U.S. Men’s Championships for more than four decades.

Before the final of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Championship final between world No. 4 Olivia Weaver and world No. 9 Amanda Sobhy, Kay spoke of the family’s commitment to sportsmanship and excellence. Read her full remarks below:

Rohit and I are delighted to be here this evening to watch this exciting match between Amanda and Olivia. Thank you all for being here as well.

Squash has been an important part of our lives for over half a century. Fred and Carol Weymuller introduced us to squash in the late 1960s at the Heights Casino, long before our children started playing in their storied junior program, which US squash has celebrated as the original and model junior squash program.

It was a program of which we are both particularly fond and proud. Carol and Fred, who were subsequently inducted into the 黑料不打烊 Hall of Fame, developed many exceptional players, including national champions Alicia McConnell and Will Carlin, both of whose parents were good friends of ours. I understand that Alicia, also inducted into the 黑料不打烊 Hall of Fame, still holds the record (seven) for most consecutive women鈥檚 national championships, a record unlikely to be broken now due to the greater number of women playing at the top level.

More importantly than talent and effort, however, Fred and Carol always emphasized sportsmanship and character in their players, including our children, who had competitive success on the court as well.

Notably, our daughter Vanya won multiple junior championships and a national collegiate championship and both Vanya and Sunil earned All American honors in the 1990s. Beyond a doubt, however, the value of sportsmanship and character were the primary life lessons they both received from Carol and Fred. I will note that both of today鈥檚 finalists have each previously won this Championship and each have received formal recognition for sportsmanship.

When Sunil alerted us to the disparity in the 黑料不打烊 Women鈥檚 National Championship Trophy after he had watched the 2015 award presentation, we were pleased that our family could offer a solution. While Sunil led the project, it was indeed a family effort and took nearly two years to complete. Given the recently announced inclusion of squash in the 2028 Olympic Games, we believe this fulfillment of the Title IX expectations of equal pay and recognition for men and women in all sports is a beacon for all women and girls who are squash players.

This will be the first time Rohit and I have been able to attend. We look forward to presenting the trophy to the winner of the 2025 U.S. Women鈥檚 National Championship.

Sally Russell, a driving force behind the growth of squash in Buffalo, New York for fifty years, was honored with the prestigious Achievement Bowl during Buffalo Squash’s annual end of year celebration at the Saturn Club Thursday, May 8.

Presented by the Women鈥檚 Committee, the Achievement Bowl is the oldest women’s national award in 黑料不打烊 and recognizes individuals who have made profound and lasting contributions to the advancement of the women鈥檚 game.

For five decades, Russell leading the charge in developing women鈥檚 leagues, tournaments, clinics, junior programs, and community engagement efforts. Her vision, leadership, and dedication have had a transformative impact not only locally but across the broader squash community.

In a special moment, Carey Anderson, a dear friend of Sally’s and a member of the 黑料不打烊 Board of Directors, presented the award to Sally in her hometown of Buffalo, honoring her extraordinary legacy in front of friends, family and fellow players. A heartfelt video message from Kim Clearkin, Chief Programs Officer at 黑料不打烊, added to the celebration.

Ultimately, it is Sally鈥檚 warm and welcoming spirit that has drawn generations of women, juniors and players of all backgrounds to the sport.

Watch an interview with Russell below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

The 2025 U.S. Women’s Masters Championships produced seven first-time champions, while Carole Grunberg earned her sixth national title and first in the 70+ age division, April 4-6, at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center in Philadelphia.

More than sixty women competed in the U.S. Women鈥檚 Masters and Skill Level Championships, which was held as a stand alone event for the second year in a row, and offered skill level draws in addition to the Masters national championships divisions. Results in the Masters and Skill Level divisions contributed to the second annual City Cup, which Philadelphia claimed for the first time.

View all results on the . Watch livestream replays on the . Tournament photography is available on the .

The second women’s 70+ division ever held saw Washington, DC’s Grunberg claim the title without dropping a game. Reno, Nevada’s Deborah Hoshizaki placed second and also won the 3.0 division.

Philadelphia’s Margaret Rux won her first national title in her first Masters appearance in twenty years. Rux defeated fellow Philadelphians Margaret Lurio and Louise Duffy in the round robin.

Portland, Oregon’s Phoebe Trubowitz won her first national title in the 60+ division, winning a Pacific Northwest final against Seattle’s Karen Arango.

Recent South African transplant Zoe Durbach made her U.S. Masters debut by defeating defending 55+ champion Hope Prockop in close four-game final.

Women’s Sportsmanship Award recipient Sarah Davidson earned her first national title by winning a five-game 50+ final against Portland, Oregon’s Kara Hale.

Boston’s Szilvia Szombati earned the 45+ national title without dropping a game and reached the 5.0 semifinals.聽Radhika Cobb won an all-Philadelphia 40+ final against Victoria Gray.

After winning their second National Doubles Open title together, Philadelphia’s Georgina Stoker and Lauren West both won their National Singles division. Stoker captured the 35+ national title against Kelsey Engman in a four game final. West topped the 19+ division with a four-game final win against Alisha Maity.

Engman and Maity faced off in the 5.0 final, which Engman won in four games. Boston’s Preeti John defeated 60+ finalist Arango in the 4.5 final. 黑料不打烊 staffer Sakora Miller won the 4.0 division with a final win over Brooke Bailey. California’s Ginni Callow won the 3.5 title against Georgia Dixon.

Philadelphia players hoist the City CupWatch interviews with Masters players and champions below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Sarah Davidson, an experienced Masters player and first-time national champion, was honored with the 2025 Women’s Sportsmanship Award during the U.S. Women’s Masters Championships Saturday, April 5, at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center in Philadelphia.

The Women鈥檚 Sportsmanship Award is awarded by the 黑料不打烊 Women鈥檚 Committee to players who have shown exemplary sportsmanship on and off the court.

Davidson was introduced by 2024 Sportsmanship Award recipient and fellow Washington, DC player Carole Grunberg. Grunberg recounted a story of Davidson recently competing in the Trans Atlantic Masters in Dublin last summer–an invitational competition including some of the world’s top masters players–where Davidson called a double hit on herself with match ball in hand when no one else saw it, including the refs.

Despite not being able to compete in the World Masters last summer due to injury, Davidson still travelled to Amsterdam to support her friends and U.S. teammates. This weekend, Davidson won her first national title in a an exciting five-game final against Portland’s Kara Hale, and was quick to smile and embrace her opponent upon the conclusion of the match.

“I play this game because of all of you, to be able to engage on court with all of the amazing people who play this sport,” Davidson said. “We try to better ourselves every time we step on court. I’m so appreciative and love you all, thank you so much.”

The U.S. and international squash community will descend on New York City next week for a thrilling slate of squash events headlined by the iconic J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in Grand Central Terminal, and including the College Squash Individual Championships, U.S. Century Doubles Championships, Grand Open Masters and Skill Level tournaments and Women’s Leadership Program, January 23-30.

The Tournament of Champions, a PSA Platinum event featuring the world’s top squash professionals, returns to Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall for the twenty-seventh year. Limited tickets remain available on .

Egypt’s world No. 1’s Ali Farag and Nouran Gohar headline the draws as the top seeds, and will face fierce competition to lift the Frank Stella-designed Tournament of Champions trophy. Team USA’s world No. 4 Olivia Weaver, the tournament’s four seed, and Amanda Sobhy, a two-time ToC finalist, will aim to harness the home crowd support and make title runs of their own.

The best of college squash will be competing alongside the world’s best–many of whom were top college players–in the first CSA Individual Championships to be held alongside the ToC in New York. The new tournament format will feature the top college players competing for a chance to play on the Grand Central glass court, January 25-26, at Open Squash FiDi, culminating in the semifinals and finals in Grand Central January 27-28.

Tickets for the semifinals and finals are still available below:

Eighty-one teams featuring 162 players are set to compete in the eighteenth edition of the U.S. Century Doubles Championships, January 24-26. The 鈥淭ournament of the Century鈥�, requiring the combined age of each team to be one hundred years or greater, will be held at five venues throughout the city including the University Club, New York Athletic Club, Heights Casino, Union Club and Racquet & Tennis Club. Livestreaming from the University Club and Saturday’s matches at the Heights Casino will be available on the .

Players of all skill levels and ages will be competing in the Grand Open–a ToC week tradition–January 24-26, at the Yale Club, Equinox UES and the S.L. Green StreetSquash Center. The Masters draws are a part of the U.S. Masters Series with all divisional finalists earning free entry to the U.S. Masters Championships later this spring. View the and here.

Wendy Bartlett, legendary coach of the Trinity College Women鈥檚 Squash program, will be recognized for her contributions to the game at the 2025 Women鈥檚 Leadership Program. The luncheon event, which celebrates the achievements of women in squash and leadership, will take place on Thursday, January 23, 2025 at the Yale Club. This year鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Leadership Program beneficiary is the College Squash Association (CSA), an organization dedicated to expanding varsity squash at colleges and universities, fostering a fulfilling four-year experience for student-athletes and enhancing the infrastructure to promote the sport across campuses nationwide. .