Final home matches for undefeated W. Tennis

Two down. Five to go. The Penn women's tennis team has moved closer to its goal of an Ivy League championship by crushing Columbia, 9-0, and defeating Princeton, last year's runner-up for the title, 5-4, in its last two matches. On the strength of those victories, the Quakers inched up two spots in the national poll this week, from No. 51 to No. 49, making Penn the highest-ranked Ivy and again breaking the record for the highest ranking in team history. But this weekend, the Quakers (15-1, 2-0) face their toughest challenge yet, as they play two of the strongest conference teams in as many days -- Brown today at 2 p.m. and Yale tomorrow at noon. Last season, Penn defeated the Bears 6-3 at home; the Quakers ultimately finished third in the final Ivy standings while Brown -- then the defending champion -- slipped to sixth. But the Bears (12-2, 0-0) have performed well this season, showing themselves to be contenders for the top spot in the Ivy League. Brown, ranked 60th in the country, is currently riding a streak of 10 straight dual match victories. Brown is led by No. 1 singles player Saranga Sangakkara, the 61st-ranked female player in the country. This year, Sangakkara took second place at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Eastern Region Championship and earned a trip to the national tournament. This weekend, the Brown senior will battle Penn's No. 1 player, junior Anastasia Pozdniakova. "There is no doubt [Sangakkara] is one of the strongest No. 1's in the Ivy League," Penn head coach Michael Dowd said. The Quakers' match against Yale tomorrow at the Lott Courts should be no less of a challenge. In the last two seasons, the Red and Blue have defeated the Bulldogs by scores of 5-4 and 7-2. But Yale finished last year with a respectable 11-5 overall record, 4-3 in the Ivy League. This spring, the Elis have racked up a 6-1 record, own a No. 52 national ranking and also threaten to strike at the Ivy championship. "Yale is strong toward the middle and bottom parts of the singles lineup and had good results this year in doubles," Dowd said. "It's definitely going to be a war." Dowd is not alone in expecting a battle. Not only will the Quakers face two teams on par with Ivy-power Princeton, but they must maintain a high intensity level for two straight matches. "We have to play as well as we did with [Princeton], if not better, against Yale and Brown," senior tri-captain Brooke Herman said. "We can't let up at all." Like the rest of the Quakers, Pozdniakova will not see a let-up after Brown and Sangakkara move on and Yale visits. "I don't think I have a chance of overpowering [either of] them but I have to be steadier," Pozdniakova said. "I know their games and there are a few things I have worked on this week that I might try in my matches. It's gonna come down to who is mentally tougher that day." These two matches are the final ones at home this season and the Quakers, who have not lost a match at Penn in two years, are eager to capitalize on their last home court advantage. "We always play extremely well at home," junior Elana Gold said. "And it is definitely a huge advantage for both of these matches." The Quakers also benefit from already having met two Ivy opponents this season, while Yale and Brown are just getting started with their first weekend of Ancient Eight matchups. "I think we have had a chance to get over our nervousness, while they are just staring out," Pozdniakova said. "And that gives us an edge. Once you have a few matches behind you, it is easier to continue playing." For the four seniors on the team, these two matches -- their last home matches at Penn -- will be all the more meaningful. "I guess it hasn't hit me yet because I have been playing all my life," senior tri-captain Karen Ridley said. "I've been preparing just the same but once I get out there, there will definitely be a lot of emotion. I'm trying not to think about it. I just want to win." Just as they did for the Princeton match last week, the Quakers are pulling out all the stops trying to get a crowd to the Lott Courts. The team has put flyers up all over campus, slapped posters on the freshmen players' backs and will send several team members out today and tomorrow with bullhorns advertising the matches -- all in an attempt to get a sizable crowd. Dowd will even go so far as to provide free food for the Penn fans. "Imagine how hard it is to play when every time you miss a shot or Penn hits a winner the crowd starts cheering. It really gets under their skin," Gold said of having fans in the stands. The Quakers are undefeated in the spring and have already gotten past Princeton, one of the two Ivy teams that both beat them and finished ahead of them last year. But as Penn moves into its last five matches of the season, Dowd maintains a mellow attitude about the team's drive for a title. "There's no pressure on us and we just have to relax," Dowd said. "Our practices have been good and I am confident that we are ready. The work is done. We just have to go out there and have fun."