W. Tennis is ready for tough competition

The Penn women's tennis team knows little about the fifth annual Brown Invitational. However, the Quakers do know they will face tough competition. "In the top flight, all the players are really good," senior co-captain Barrie Bernstein said. "It doesn't matter who I'm playing because I'll just have to do my best." Bernstein and the rest of the Quakers will match up with players from Brown, Boston College, Colorado, Dartmouth, Illinois, North Carolina State and Rutgers today through Sunday. Penn has seen Rutgers and Boston College at the Eastern Collegiates, but will face the other teams for the first time this season. Although co-captain Cori Sibley knows the matches are going to be competitive, she predicts the Quakers will do well. "Penn is definitely on the same level as all these schools," Sibley said. "Anything could happen at the tournament." Junior Preety Sorathia is also confident the Quakers will hold their own. But after the Eastern Collegiates at Princeton, where Penn did not do as well as it expected, she is sure not to underestimate the competition. "We have played people from Rutgers that were tough," Sorathia said. "We'll see how we match up against the people from the Ivies." In addition to the "A," "B," and "C" flights, there will also be a "D" flight in both singles and doubles. These open slots will give freshman Kathy Charneco the chance to see some singles play. Due to tennis elbow, Charneco's play has been restricted to No. 2 doubles. "Since I've been at Penn, it's been a little sore," she said. "But I've been seeing the trainer and taking care of it." After resting all summer, Charneco feels she is ready to get back on the court in a larger role. The extra flight will give her a chance to prove it. Joining her in flight "D" singles is sophomore Meghna Rao. Both Charneco and Rao are hoping to impress in their first singles play of the season. So are the rest of the Quakers as they compete in the invite for the first time.