This past Saturday, the Notre Dame women’s fencing team built upon its success as it overcame all odds en route to a 3-2 record at the Benguinet Classic held at Duke University.
Due to several epee fencers competing at the Barcelona Women’s Individual Epee Cup, including junior Eszter Muhari, the Irish had to forfeit all their epee bouts, handing them a 9-0 deficit before their sabre and foil matches even began.
Muhari, who scored bronze at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics for Hungary and the 2023 NCAA Individual Epee National Champion, went on to win the Women’s World Cup. Muhari didn’t compete for the Irish last year as she was training to qualify for the Olympics.
As for Notre Dame, the team fought valiantly, picking up three tough wins over the likes of No. 13 Penn State (14-13), Brandeis (16-11) and Boston College (14-13), despite starting with a major handicap. The Irish fell to No. 11 Temple (11-16) and NYU (13-14).
Notre Dame’s sweep of Penn State in sabre proved to be a vital turning point for the Irish, providing the squad with a narrow, one-point win and instilling a sense of confidence for Notre Dame that its fencers can rally behind one another facing adversity. Freshman Magda Skarbonkiewicz was the standout performance in sabre, finishing with a perfect 9-0 record on the day.
Senior Jadeyn Williams (10-2), freshman Lola Possick (5-1) and reigning ACC Fencer of the Week senior Atara Greenbaum (9-3) were additional key contributors to the Irish’s success in sabre throughout the meet.
Notre Dame found similar success in foil, inspired by the excellence of freshman Victoria Pevzner. The New Jersey native who came to Notre Dame as one of the most highly-touted recruits in the country boasted an 8-2 record on the day. Classmate Emma Griffin complemented Pevzner’s success with a 5-1 tally.
What’s next
Notre Dame women’s fencing is in the final stretch of its hunt for an elusive 11th national championship. After winning five titles in the span of six seasons (not including the canceled 2020 season), the Irish fell short in 2024 to Harvard. The team will continue its quest for national glory as it participates in the USA Fencing Junior Olympics from Feb. 14-17 in Charlotte, North Carolina, before finding itself up the road in Chapel Hill for the ACC Championships from the 22nd to the 23rd.
From there, Notre Dame will compete at NCAA Midwest Regionals in Granville, Ohio. The NCAA Championships will take place from March 20 to March 23 at Penn State.
The women’s team, ranked second in the preseason poll, is paired alongside the men’s team, which has been nothing short of dominant all season long. The men are 36-2 on the season, showing no signs of slowing down after a 5-0 triumph at the Miller Invitational in Chapel Hill. Six-time ACC Coach of the Year Gia Kvaratskhelia oversees both programs.
