The 18th-ranked Middlebury men's squash team started its final weekend of the regular season with a narrow 5-4 setback Saturday to Virginia in a match played at Brown's Brodsky Squash Pavilion. The Panthers (7-7) conclude the regular season Sunday with a 2:00 p.m. contest against the 19th-ranked Bears.

The Cavaliers (4-5) jumped out to a 2-1 lead with wins at #6 and #3. Picking up the victory for the Panthers during that stretch was Jacob Ellen at #2 in three games (11-7, 11-8, 11-9).

The Panthers tied the match at 2-2 when Jack Kagan defeated his opponent at #5 in three games (11-7, 12-10, 11-6). Virginia regained the lead with a four-game win at #9, but Middlebury's Wyatt French knotted the score at 3-3 with a convincing win atop the ladder (11-8, 11-9, 11-3).

Virginia took the lead with a five-game victory at #4 and clinched the fifth team point via a triumph at #7. William Kurth garnered the fourth Panther point with a five-game win at #8 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4).