W. Squash eases past Fords, 8-1

The Penn women's squash team crushed Haverford 8-1 last night at Haverford. Katherine Viener and Abi Hopkins, Penn's top two players, swept their opponents 3-0, while No. 3 Liz Fuss gave up one game to win 3-1. In the fourth through sixth matches, only one lasted four points per match. The only place where the Fords challenged the Quakers was in the bottom three positions. Those Penn players just began playing squash at the start of the season and were challenged by the more experienced Haverford players. In the closest match of the night, freshman Veronica Rice, in the No. 7 spot, edged her opponent 3-2. "It was the best match I've ever played," she said. Rice lost the first game 9-6. She was disappointed with her performance in that game but knew she could beat her opponent by the end of the match. Rice dominated the second game 9-1 to tie the score at 1. Her opponent had a nice drop shot and ran well to take the third game 9-5. "I knew exactly what my strategy should have been but I wasn't following through," Rice said. She had trouble placing the ball where she wanted it to go. Rice rallied back in the fourth game to win 9-6. The fifth game was forced into a tie-breaker at 8. Rice defeated her opponent 2-0 in the tie-breaker to take the match. This match was definitely a confidence booster for Rice who felt she was challenged and evenly matched with her opponent. Rice used the strategy of running her opponent to the front and hitting a deep lob, or hitting a deep lob followed by a drop shot or a "drive kill" which is a low shot to the front left. "The best matches to win are the close ones," Rice said. Laura Guimond, in the No. 8 position, lost her match 3-0. She was not happy with her game and knew she could have beaten her opponent. Coach Demer Holleran was excited with the team's performance. "It's winning decisively. Hopefully it will be something the team will want to taste again," Holleran said. Penn practiced shots they have had trouble hitting under pressure. The Quakers also were in complete control of their rallies. Holleran hopes the team will strive for this feeling of control in future matches. Freshman Elena Greezes swept her first collegiate match 3-0 in the No. 9 spot. She joined the squash team after the field hockey season finished, without a lot of experience. She ran for a lot of balls while concentrating on her technique to crush her opponent. This win against Haverford gave Penn the confidence it said it needs to take on Yale and Brown this weekend.