Quakers squashed by Tigers

Coach Demer Holleran brought her Penn women's squash team to her alma mater with dreams of an upset, only to have her dreams turn into nightmares. The Red and Blue were soundly trounced last night by No. 2 Princeton, 9-0. Holleran, who was an all-American at Princeton from 1985 to 1989, led the Tigers to the national championship her senior season. She was hoping to play her former team close, but it was a difficult match for a Quakers squad still winless in the Ivy League. "Princeton plays a smart game," Holleran said. "They hit accurate, controlled shots, rather than trying to overpower us." The Tigers have lost only one match all year, to the undefeated No. 1 Harvard Crimson by a 6-3 score. The Quakers were coming off a tough weekend with losses to Ivy counterparts Harvard and Dartmouth. In contrast to the Harvard match, where the Red and Blue were quickly swept off the court, the team felt more comfortable playing Princeton. "Everyone was more focused and relaxed than this weekend," Junior Jenna Bertocchi said. "We all fought hard and played to the best of our abilities against a tough opponent." Bitterness from the loss to Dartmouth still lingers in the minds of the Penn team. "I was as disappointed as I have ever been after the Dartmouth game," Bertocchi said. Several notable performances demonstrated the Quakers' determination in facing an opponent as daunting as the Tigers. Sophomore Jill Viola lost a heartbreaking five-game match to Princeton's Tinka Markham. "Jill played very consistently and was error-free early on," Holleran said. "She and her opponent played a similar style, which made for an exciting match" Viola, recently promoted from No. 6 to No. 5, was able to capitalize on her opponent's mistakes early to win the first two games. Then she watched Markham pick up her game and play virtually error-free squash for the last three games to emerge victorious. "Jill played intense, inspired squash," Penn freshman Elanore Greeves said. "She came out with a focused, balanced intensity," freshman Bridget George said. "She was ready to play and it showed." Junior No. 1 Lissa Hunsicker also played one of her best matches of the season against Princeton's Katherine Johnson. Hunsicker lost two of the three games by the closest of margins, 9-7. "Lissa played a great game," sophomore Abigail Hopkins said. "She hung tough against one of the top junior players in the country." Markham is an all-American and one of the top five players in women's squash, so for Hunsicker to stay close was a big step in her continual adaptation to playing No. 1. The team knew the Princeton match would be a tough one. The Quakers went in hoping to improve and develop their game rather than get frustrated and overwhelmed. In that, they succeeded.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.