Losing a senior on a college sports team is inevitable. But when that senior is a captain, the team's best player and one of the best players in the nation, the loss becomes a little harder to handle.
And when the graduate is an All-American and the second-ranked player in the country, the pressure falls on the rest of the team.
This is the situation that the women's squash team currently faces after the nation's second-ranked player, Runa Reta, graduated last spring. The squad finished fourth in the nation last year and they are ranked in the same spot to start this season by the College Squash Association.
This year's squad has only one senior, co-captain Dafna Wegner. She and junior co-captain Linda McNair, who is ranked 13th nationally, are responsible for filling the leadership void left by Reta.
"Granted, [Reta] was a No. 1... but the rest of the ladder is stronger [this year]", McNair said.
Part of this strength comes from an incoming class that includes freshmen Paula Pearson, Radhika Ahluwalia and Annie Barrett. Also joining the Quakers will be sophomore Rhea Bhandare, who is a transfer from top-ranked and defending national champion Trinity College.
Barrett feels that her teammates are creating an atmosphere of "really strong" team unity. She explained that the freshmen often spend their free time with the older players, allowing them to learn from the veterans and also establish a stronger team bond.
The newcomers showcased their skills last week in exhibition play in Hanover, N.H. Barrett and Bhandare each finished 4-1, and Ahluwalia finished 3-2 overall in matches against Cornell, Brown, Yale, Princeton and Harvard.
Coach Jim Martel praised his team's work ethic in the preseason practices.
"They realize that it takes a lot of hard work to be a good squash player," Martel said. "You can't just talk about what you want to do, you have to work at it."
The effort appears to be paying off.
"I think the team is doing a great job this year with practicing," McNair said. "Everybody's ready to work hard."
The Quakers' schedule is not an easy one, with Ivy League foes Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton and Brown all in the top 10 nationally. Play begins for the Quakers Sunday evening against Franklin & Marshall at the Ringe Squash Courts.
Martel was confident in his team's chances for the first match of the season, saying that the Quakers generally do well against non-Ivy foes.
As the Red and Blue start the season and eventually face tough Ivy League competition, Barrett is confident that they can win.
"We're going to surprise people."
Season Preview Home site: Ringe Squash Courts Last spring: Finished year ranked No. 4 in nation Key losses: Runa Reta Key returners: Linda McNair, Dafna Wegner Key newcomers: Paula Pearson, Rhea Bhandare Schedule: Quakers have a challenging schedule as they will face off with six teams that are ranked in the preseason top 10, including national champion Trinity. McNair enters her junior season as team co-captain and will be looked to as a leader with the departure of nationally ranked Runa Reta. McNair was named a second-team All-American for the second consecutive year as she posted an undefeated, 8-0, record in Ivy League play last season. The native South African qualified for the Constable Tournament and was second on the team in wins last season with a 12-2 overall record.
