W. Tennis wins four of five in California

Ten days of warmth and sunshine can go a long way. Leaving Penn's cold and windy campus for their destination in Newport Beach, Calif., had nothing but positive effects on the Penn women's tennis team, as it went 4-1 against five tough competitors. "Things couldn't have gone better," Penn coach Michael Dowd said. "It was a great week of tennis and camaraderie. It was a great start for our season." The only loss for the Quakers occurred against No. 25-ranked San Diego, with a final score of 5-3. The loss did not come as a surprise to Penn, nor was it discouraging. "San Diego was very competitive," Quakers sophomore Karen Ridley said. "We played the best team first, and we were still getting used to the outside conditions." Ridley, who plays in the No. 3 singles position, was unable to compete against San Diego because of a knee injury, but after returning to the court for Penn's remaining four opponents, she went undefeated. Next on the schedule was UC Irvine, although this team proved to be a little less challenging for Penn. The Quakers were victorious, with an ending score of 9-0. Two days later, Penn's next victim was Indiana State, who the Quakers beat 7-2 win. Penn then went on to pick up its third win against Cal State-Fullerton, again with a 9-0 sweep. Penn freshman Brooke Herman, who played No. 2 singles in the fall, returned from an injury to play in the No. 6 slot for this match. After tearing a ligament in her left wrist, Herman was unable to play with her usual two-handed backhand shot, but this did not stop her from winning her matches, 6-1, 6-0. Coming down to the last doubles match, the most rewarding victory for the Quakers came with their 5-4 win over Loyola-Marymount. The whole team looked on as Herman and Ridley won their pro-set doubles match with a score of 8-5. The Quakers and the Lions were evenly matched in ability, but Penn was way ahead in its desire to win. "Winning that match was pretty emotional," Dowd said. "It was a tremendous victory." Winning matches and catching some rays were not the only events on the agenda for the Quakers. They did their share of practicing, too, although Dowd says the players initiated practices themselves, demonstrating their strong commitment and eagerness to win. "They seemed really motivated," Dowd said. "They were playing on their own, and that's when they make big improvements. They wanted it." The Quakers will play their first home match of the spring season on Friday at 2 p.m., when they face Richmond. "This will be a big match for us," Dowd said. "We'd love to get it, and I think we'll be ready."