While the 2001-2002 season was marked as a rebuilding year for Penn women's squash, the Quakers look promising heading into this season.
Led by second-year coach James Martel, the Quakers will look to improve upon last year's 0-7 record in the Ivy League and 3-13 mark overall.
Martel joined the squad at the beginning of last season after the departure of nine-year coach Demer Holleran. It took time for the players to adjust to Martel's new coaching methods.
Although the Quakers struggled through its first half of the season -- the team only posted wins against Haverford, Amherst and Franklin and Marshall -- the team was able to finish the season strong and capture their division in the Howe Cup.
The Red and Blue captured the Division B Howe Cup at New Haven, finishing ninth overall.
The Quakers return 12 starting players and have added eight freshman to a roster already consisting of two All-Americans.
"We have a very young team which is much different from last year," junior co-captain Daphna Wegner said. "We'll definitely do much better."
The Quakers return senior co-captain and first team All-American Runa Reta. Reta, who was voted Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman, has earned All-Ivy team honors three years in a row. Currently, she is ranked as the fourth in the nation.
The Red and Blue also returns sophomore sensation Linda McNair, who made second team All-American last year and is currently ranked eighth in the nation. Sophomores Rohini Gupta and Hanna Yoon are expected to contribute heavily after outstanding rookie seasons.
"We have a lot more depth this year between the returning players and the freshman," McNair said.
The Quakers are currently ranked seventh in the nation out of 15 teams by the College Squash Association. Penn hopes to overtake Ivy rivals Dartmouth, Princeton, Yale, Brown and Harvard -- all of whom are ranked higher than the Quakers.
"We definitely want to improve to at least fourth," McNair said.
As for motivation, the team needs only to look as far as last year's performance to establish goals for the upcoming season.
"We have the youngest team in the Ivy League, but we still think we can have a strong year," said freshman Tyler Pearce, who is also a Daily Pennsylvanian reporter. "All the coach has to mention is last year's record and it motivates us."
The Quakers will open the 2002-2003 season with the Ivy League Scrimmage at Princeton, N.J. on Nov. 16. The team will begin official match-play at home against Cornell on Nov. 23.
