Penn expects to beat F&M; even without top three players

The Quakers women's squash team shut out Franklin & Marshall least year, 7-0, with only two top players out. This year, Penn holds three players. When the Penn women's squash team kicks off its season today with a 6 p.m. match against Franklin & Marshall at Ringe Courts in Hutchinson Gym, the Quakers will be without their top three players. Although the Diplomats are a relatively weak team, the match will be no stroll-in-the-park for the Quakers without Jessica DiMauro, Katie Patrick and Dana Lipson. Penn coach Demer Holleran is choosing to have the three sit out the match so that they can maintain their eligibility for the individual competition at the Constable Invitational next month. DiMauro, Patrick and Lipson are all scheduled to play in more competitive matches against Yale and Brown this weekend. "Franklin & Marshall isn't all that strong a team, but you never know because we're dropping our top three," Holleran said. "We beat them 9-0 last year, but we only dropped our top two, not our top three." Because DiMauro (last year's national champion), Patrick and Lipson are being held out, the rest of the Quakers will be bumped up three notches on the depth chart. Sophomore Lindsay Moss will be playing in the No. 1 spot, with senior Elissa Helt and sophomore Amanda Bradford filling in at the second and third spots, respectively. "We normally wouldn't have too much of a tough time against Franklin & Marshall, but it's going to be more of a challenge without our top three," Bradford said. Because the Diplomats will not be holding any players, the Quakers who do compete will, in many cases, be facing competition that is more experienced than what they are used to. Moss, for example, will be taking on F&M;'s top player, senior Katherine McDonald. "I've never played her before because we were never in the same age group," Moss said. After last year's 9-0 romp, Holleran is justifiably secure in her team's chances, despite the three absent players. "We're asking the rest of the team to step up and beat people they normally wouldn't be expected to beat," Holleran said. "Everyone has confidence that the lower team can step up and win the match."