W. Squash up against odds

As far as every Ivy League women's squash team is concerned, Harvard has already been crowned conference champion for the sixth year in a row. But one thing the Crimson surely do not have is the No. 1 collegiate player in the nation. That honor belongs to Penn freshman Jessica DiMauro, a new addition to this year's Quakers women's squash team. She has not only lifted the Quakers' record (9-0, 2-0 Ivy League), but has also lifted the spirits of the entire team. "She brings a winning attitude to the team," Penn coach Demer Holleran said. "She expects herself to win every match and lends her spirit to the rest of the team." Lissa Hunsicker, a senior who plays behind DiMauro at No. 2, said her teammate has been "an inspiration." "She's shown us what we can achieve, a level of play which we've never seen before," Hunsicker added. Penn will to need to reach another level if it hopes to upset Harvard (4-0,1-0) Saturday at 2 p.m. at Harvard's Hemenway Gymnasium. Next, the Quakers will meet Dartmouth Sunday at 11 a.m. in Hanover, N.H. DiMauro's record speaks for itself. Not only is she undefeated this season, but also she has yet to drop a game to any player all year. "I think it's my personality that I bring to the team," DiMauro said. "[The team is] a lot more fun, and winning is a key factor that brings us together." DiMauro is expected to win her match, which will be against one of the Crimson's top two players -- either Blaire Clark or Ivy Pochoda. It should not matter who she draws -- DiMauro has already beaten both of them earlier in the season. Hunsicker, who is ranked in the top five and has lost to both Clark and Pochoda in tight five-game matches, will draw whoever DiMauro doesn't. The rest of the team will also have their hands full with the talented Crimson. Dartmouth, which Penn beat at the Ivy Scrimmages in November, promises to give the Quakers less of a challenge. At the Scrimmages, the Quakers spent a weekend playing on the Big Green's courts, so they are comfortable there. "They're going to have to do something extraordinary to beat us," Holleran said. "We are favored to win the Dartmouth match. We are a much stronger team than last year, but we have to prove it. We can't go on our reputation alone, people have been putting in the work. Now we have to do it."