Clinton, NY - Fifth-seeded Colby delivered a statement win in the NESCAC Championship quarterfinals, edging fourth-seeded Amherst in a thrilling 5–4 upset.
The Mules set the tone early at the top of the ladder, where Seif Ashraf '27 earned a hard-fought victory at the number one spot. After falling 3–0 in their previous meeting, Ashraf came in determined to reverse the result. Despite dropping the opening game 6–11, he responded with resilience and composure, capturing the next three games 11–8, 11–2, and 13–11 to ignite Colby's momentum.
Tymofii Radionov '28 built on that energy with a gritty performance of his own. He outlasted his opponent in a marathon 15–13 first game, dropped the second, and then closed the match with confident play to take the third and fourth games decisively. Carlos Zendejas '27 followed with a commanding 3–0 sweep, putting the Mules firmly in control.
The most grueling battle of the day came from senior Youssef Mostafa '26. In a 30-minute opening game, Mostafa and his opponent traded point for point before Mostafa prevailed 23–21. Riding that momentum, he finished strong with 11–6 and 12–10 games to secure another crucial win for Colby.
With the match hanging in the balance, freshman Omar Bastawy '29 delivered the clinching fifth win. In front of an electric crowd, Bastawy remained poised under pressure. After narrowly dropping the first game 10–12, he surged back to claim the next three games, clinching the victory and sending Colby to the NESCAC Championship semifinals.
The Mules return to action tomorrow against the top-seeded Trinity College Bantams.
