LaGorce impresses onlookers

The Penn women's squash team hoped last weekend's Princeton Invitational would serve as a morale booster. Little did the Quakers know that goal would be fulfilled even before the tournament began. The Princeton Invitational is an opportunity for the 20 best collegiate players to compete against each other. Princeton, Vassar, Franklin & Marshall, Penn State, Dartmouth and Amherst sent players to the tournament. Penn coach Demer Holleran was more than pleased when she discovered two of the top players were Quakers. "It was an honor to have two of our players in the top 20 and the whole team can be proud of that," Holleran said. Senior Aimee La Gorce and classmate and co-captain Wendy Sullivan were selected to compete among the elite in women's squash. La Gorce placed third in the tournament and Sullivan finished tied for eighth place. Holleran felt Sullivan proved herself a player to be reckoned with when she competed in two hard-fought matches against the country's best competition. Even though she was recovering from a hamstring injury, La Gorce fought her way to the semi-finals before losing to the eventual winner of the tournament, Franklin & Marshall junior Margo Green. "The match against Margo was the first real test and my leg held up," La Gorce said. "I learned a lot from it and hopefully I can implement [my knowledge] in my match in 10 days." La Gorce will have the opportunity to challenge Green again when the Quakers play the Diplomats January 19. "The Franklin & Marshall match is an important one we're looking forward to," Holleran said. "We have a lot more depth this year and a lot of hungry players. We really want to beat F&M.; We have to practice hard for two weeks to make it a reality." Matches played at Franklin & Marshall tend to be more difficult because the crowds tend to be loud and intimidating. "We have to be prepared, mentally and physically, to block that out," Holleran said. The Quakers' confidence should be boosted by the return of junior co-captain Liz Fuss from France. "That will not only help us depth-wise, but also morale-wise," Holleran said. "[Liz] is a very energetic person and she works really hard," La Gorce said. With the confidence gained from the Princeton Invitational and the return of Fuss, the younger Quakers may finally gain the self-confidence their play suggests they deserve.

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