Philadelphia, PA - In the quarterfinal round of the CSA National Championship Kurtz Cup, the sixth-seeded Colby Mules fell to the third-seeded Columbia Lions, 8-1.

Despite the final scoreline, the morning featured several grueling, high-stakes battles. The Mules' lone win of the day was secured by senior Abhisheka David '26. After a narrow 12-10 victory in the first game, David surged to a decisive 11-6 win in the second. Despite dropping the third game while navigating an injury, David showed immense grit to battle through the pain. She secured the fourth game in dominant 11-6 fashion on the glass court, performing in front of a large national crowd.

David's victory was one of many hard-fought matches throughout the lineup. Nathalie Sim '27 pushed her opponent to five games in a marathon 40-minute match. After dropping the opening game, Sim bounced back to take a tight 12-10 second game. The two traded blows from there; Sim dropped the third before securing a dramatic 14-12 victory in the fourth. Ultimately, she fell 6-11 in the fifth after a spirited battle.

At the top of the ladder, senior Laavanya Kugan '26 put on an impressive display against one of the country's best players. Kugan started the match with confidence, shocking the crowd by taking the first game 11-5 before eventually falling in a hard-fought four-game set.

The Mules remained competitive throughout the lineup, forcing tight games across the board. Maggie Motch '28 and Amanda Miller '26 both pushed their opponents to the brink in 11-9 games.

Colby returns to the courts tomorrow at 3:00 PM to face NESCAC rival Wesleyan, with a chance to advance to the consolation bracket finals.