W. Tennis sees the future in sweep of Lehigh at home

With the fall season drawing to a close, Penn women's tennis coach Cissie Leary decided to sit four of her top five singles players in last Tuesday's match against Lehigh in order to have a look at the team's future. While the Quakers have no seniors on the squad, the ever-present possibility of an injury gave Leary enough reason to see what she had in the reserves. She was not disappointed. With sophomore Karen Ridley and junior co-captain Andi Grossman leading the way, the Quakers (6-2) demolished the visiting Engineers, 7-0. "It shows the depth that we have," Leary said. "It shows that we don't have to play our top kids to dominate." Ridley, who usually plays in the No. 4 spot, received her first taste of what it is like to play in the top singles match, and she made the most of it, easily dispensing of Lehigh's Corinne Casacio, 6-4, 6-2. After Grossman made short work out of her opponent in the No. 2 singles match, winning, 6-1, 6-0, the true stars of the day for Penn took care of the rest, and they did it with frightening ease. Having to sit in the shadow of their teammates for most of the season, the Quakers reserves were hungry for action and, unfortunately for Lehigh, used the opportunity to show that they could play with the best. Freshman Elana Gold, playing in her first singles match of the season, showed no signs of rust, as she shut out her opponent in convincing fashion, 6-0, 6-0. After sophmore Romy Mehlman, who has has been used sparingly in the No. 6 singles position this year, blanked her opponent in straight sets, freshman Lisa Khakakina, playing in her first match as a Quaker, finished the string of shut-outs with yet another 6-0, 6-0 win over Lehigh's Rachel Mason. Freshman Amy Wax, who played in the No. 6 singles position, finished the singles domination by manhandling her opponent, 6-1, 6-2. In doubles play, it was more of the same. Playing in the top doubles match, Gold and Wax teamed up to score a big 8-5 win over the Lehigh duo of Casacio and Katie Spain. In the No. 2 spot, Penn sophomore Corin Esterowitz, playing in her first match of the season, and Mehlman, who apparently does not like to give up points, shut out their opponents, 8-0. The rout finally came to a close when the team of Khakakina and freshman Allison Lacika handily won in the No. 3 doubles slot, 8-1. The importance of the victory and the ease with which it was obtained was not lost on Leary. When a coach can sit more than half her regular players in a match against a Division I opponent and still dominate in such a fashion, it says something about the level of talent she has at her disposal. "I was very impressed," Leary said. "If we have to work our way down the lineup, for whatever reason, I know I can have a lot of confidence in these girls."