The University of Toronto Varsity Blues squash teams head back to White Oaks Resort in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont. this weekend as Western University host the 2024 OUA Squash Championships from Feb. 9-11.

Both the Varsity Blues men and women will enter the provincial showcase with medal aspirations, especially after strong showings throughout the Jesters Sectional and Crossover events this season. For the U of T men, Toronto battled to a 9-1 Jesters record, with their only loss being a one match defeat versus the defending OUA champion Western Mustangs. Meanwhile, the U of T women achieved a 6-3 Jesters competition record, earning several dominant sweep victories over opponents like Guelph, Laurier, Ottawa, Brock, and McMaster.

Leading the way for the Blues women will be a strong core of veterans in Amy Commisso, Sunny Choi, Madeleine Khan, Gabrielle Amoroso, and Aayah Shalaby. Last season Commisso earned OUA all-star honours as Toronto's No. 1 player during their run to fourth overall at the provincial championship. The Toronto women last claimed the OUA title in 2014, while their last provincial medal was a bronze in 2019.

Reaching the OUA final last year, the Blues men will be aiming to once again return to the title match behind the leadership of team captain and 2023 OUA MVP Ali Shalaby. He is aided by fellow returners Will Harris, Yawar Ashraf, and Josh Wolpert. The U of T men have captured a provincial medal in each of the last four consecutive OUA championship tournaments.

Competition will begin with pool play on Friday (Feb. 9). Each team will play three round robin matches, before crossover seeding and semifinal matches occur on Saturday (Feb. 10) afternoon. The final placement and medal matches are scheduled for Sunday morning (Feb. 11).