The Penn women's squash team had its match postponed against Yale due to snow on December 6. They dispatched Brown the next day, and have not played since.
The victory over the Bears was the only match for the nationally ranked No. 5 Quakers (5-0, 2-0 Ivy League) in a 56-day span that ends Saturday. The Red and Blue are set to travel to Amherst and Williams, at 11 AM and 5 PM, respectively.
Despite the long break, Penn coach Jim Martel is not concerned about his team's ability to play two matches in two venues on the same day and said that he would most likely use the same lineup for both matches.
"They've been used to working out twice a day," Martel said.
The Quakers practiced twice a day for eight days over winter break.
According to sophomore Lorin Riley, she and her teammates are used to doubleheaders since they are regular occurrences at the junior level.
If history is any indication, Penn should not be concerned at all about their stamina for the double-header. Back on Nov. 22, the Quakers also played two matches on the same day, against Cornell and the University of Toronto. Those matches marked the beginning of the eight-week stretch of the schedule with few matches. Penn won both of those matches handily, 9-0 and 8-1.
On the injury front for the Quakers, senior and honorable mention All-American during the last two seasons Dafna Wegner is not expected to play this week but should return soon. Wegner has been battling a groin and lower-back injury that has forced her to miss a good portion of the last two seasons, as well as all of this season so far.
The matches on Saturday are the last for the Quakers before a challenging conclusion to their schedule. Penn goes to the Constable Tournament, then facing No. 3 Princeton, No. 2 Yale, No. 4 Harvard, No. 6 Dartmouth and No. 1 Trinity before the season-ending team Howe Cup, all in a six-week span.
However, the 12th ranked Jeffs (3-1) and the seventh ranked Ephs (5-3) cannot be taken lightly, and the Quakers are not looking past them to the more difficult part of their schedule.
"The kids realize what they have to do," Martel said, "there's enough time in between to get their strength back and be ready to play the second match."
The bottom line for the Red and Blue is the win column, and Penn has a chance to go there twice on Saturday.
"We have an opportunity to go 7-0," Martel said. "That should be motivation enough to come away with a couple of victories."
