Q&A; with Penn's Squash coach and America's No. 1 female player Demer Holleran

Interview by Scott MulhauserInterview by Scott MulhauserDaily Pennsylvanian Sports Writer Holleran: My father taught me how to play when I was young, and I began playing tournaments when I was 12. I played at Phillips Exeter Academy and was recruited by Princeton. I played squash at Princeton for each of my four years. Our team improved during my four years, finally capturing the Howe Cup in my senior year. DP: How did this collegiate success translate to your current position as the No. 1 women's squash player in the U.S.? Holleran: I won the women's intercollegiate singles title in three out of my four years at Princeton -- my freshman, sophomore and senior years. My senior year in college I won the overall women's championships, and I have managed to hold on to No. 1 since 1989. After college I moved to Europe to play in professional tournaments and spent time in Germany, England, South Africa and Australia during the summers, and moved to No. 27 in the world. I returned back here to the U.S. for winters to be a pro at a country club. DP: Describe life as the No. 1 player in women's squash? Holleran: Being No. 1 is a position of prestige. While there is not a lot of money in squash, it is exciting for me, and I feel like it is an accomplishment to be proud of. It takes a lot of mental preparation and physical training and maintaining it is a lot of pressure. Just as in any sport, everyone wants to knock off No. 1, and I feel lucky to be there. One of the great things about success is that it gives you confidence for the rest of your life. I feel fortunate to be successful and feel that it translates to success in other areas of my life. DP: Is there a routine that you subscribe to in order to stay at the peak of your game? Holleran: I try to play twice a day, in addition to lifting weights, using the stairmaster and swimming. I never really play against women, usually against "A-level" men around the region, like Ned Edwards, the men's coach, and others at area country clubs. DP: What's the next step in the playing career of Demer Holleran? Holleran: This month should be one of the biggest events of my career. I am heading off to the Pan Am games on the 11th of March in Argentina. This is the first time squash has ever been played in the games, and I feel that the U.S. has a good chance for medals. Since we are representing our country, the U.S. Olympic Committee will be providing both airfare and housing, which is great. While it doesn't pay, the USOC provides free equipment and clothing and is very professional, which makes me even more excited to go. DP: How did you come to arrive at Penn, and how has life been as the coach of the Penn women's squash team? Holleran: I decided to look into coaching at the same time that Anne Wetzel, the coach for the first 26 years of Penn squash, was retiring. My parents are from Philly and I had good feelings about Penn, so I decided to look into the job. Penn is very supportive of its athletics and it's a good place to coach. The school is very committed to its varsity sports and has a great squash facility. It is an attractive place for good players. Philadelphia has a great squash community both for me and my players. There is probably more squash in Philly than in any other city, between all of the country clubs and all of the leagues. DP: How has the team developed since you have been here? Holleran: When I arrived, we were seeded No. 11. We have gotten as high as No. 7, and finished No. 9 this year. DP: Describe this year's season--both the accomplishments and the disappointment. Holleran: I like to stress individual achievement as well as team success. This year's team put in considerably more effort than any other year. They do a lot of fitness work on their own, practice a lot and work hard on the shots that need improvement. Going into this year we hoped to improve and thought we could beat Dartmouth after a close loss last year. We had some good results unexpectedly versus top teams, winning three of the nine games against both Yale and Brown. We didn't expect Amherst and Williams to be as strong as they were, and losing to them was both surprising and frustrating. We put in so much effort and to lose was disappointing. DP: What specific highlights, either team or individual, come to mind? Holleran: One highlight that comes immediately to mind was our team's trip to England in January. It helped the team develop on both the squash and personal levels, and everyone improved. It showed the team squash around the world. I think another accomplishment for the team is that although we didn't come together all at once, each individual player over the last couple of weeks had a big win that was important both for them personally and for their squash development. I feel like the team is now a solid unit. I was very pleased with the play of Lissa Hunsicker at No. 1. She may get to play as one of the top eight seeds in the upcoming intercollegiates. I am also pleased with some of the players on the team who seem to have renewed their commitment to squash, like Jenna Bertocchi and Katy Textor. Their commitment is important to me and it has paid off with good results for both. While we didn't win the Howe Cup, we had three solid victories that weekend, and even when we were down on the last day, we played really well versus a surprising Franklin & Marshall team. DP: After last weekend's Howe Cup, what is next for the Penn women's squash team? Holleran: Four members of our team will play in this weekend's intercollegiates, the individual championships. It is the most prestigious event in women's squash and it is an honor to be invited and an even bigger to host it, which we are this year. Lissa Hunsicker, Elissa Helt, Katherine Viener and Liz Fuss will be going from Penn. Just to win a match in this tournament of the top 64 women in intercollegiate squash is an accomplishment. It should be especially exciting for Lissa, because she has worked hard and improved all year. At a point where some others may lose their enthusiasm, she sustained hers, and I hope she finishes high in the tournament. She is also at home, so that should provide added incentive for her. DP: How does next year look for the team? Holleran: Next year should be exciting. We are losing only one senior, Liz Fuss, and while we will miss her, the core of the team is coming back. We have several good recruits looking at Penn, which should help us even more. The group we have is now seasoned, and next year we will have mostly upperclassmen, especially juniors, who have been around and know what it takes to win, especially versus teams like Amherst and Dartmouth. DP: Any final comments on the year? Holleran: I think it was a positive year. We came together as a team and had the sentiment of wanting to win for the team, which makes me excited for next year. I enjoyed working with them, and I hope my excitement will be furthered next year.