Regular Penn starters Nikky Ptak and Shelah Chao donned street clothes at game time yesterday.
No, they were not injured, nor were they conceding their matches. They were simply cheering on the future of the team.
The younger players on the Penn women's tennis team had their chance to show that the future looks bright for the program, as the Quakers topped Swarthmore, 6-1.
Penn coach Mike Dowd made a decision to let some of his less experienced players on the team get some playing time against the Division-III school.
"I was very impressed," Dowd said. "We came out and took care of business today."
Penn junior "Kate Williams was exceptional today," Dowd said. "She's undefeated thus far at No. 3 doubles."
Williams got it done on the singles side as well, leading her team to two wins in overall match play.
"I was trying to focus on my strengths," Williams said. "I was hitting the shots that I had been working on in practice.
"It was good to play in a natural match for me, like singles. It was great to get a match behind me, get my confidence up."
The whole team exuded Williams' confidence. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors alike performed very well.
There was a sense of deja vu from Penn's match with Virginia a little over a week ago. Teammates were lined up on the court next to freshman Amanda Jasso.
Mixed shouting of, "Go Amanda, come on Amanda" erupted from the girls as they cheered on Jasso in her deciding set.
This time, however, the game was in the second set, and like the overall performance of the Red and Blue on the day, she was up big, trying to close out the last match.
"I think I'm improving a lot," Jasso said. "As I go along every match, I find something I can work on, that I can improve on."
Jasso would end up winning the second set and the match, with a serenade of applause and congratulatory wishes from her teammates and fans.
"Swarthmore is a nationally ranked Division III team," Dowd said. "Our players really pushed us through to the win."
Although the two teams have not played in dual match play for eight years, a new rivalry has started to form, Dowd said.
Dowd and the Quakers will be looking forward to playing some tough opponents this weekend on the road.
"We're playing Maryland, fresh off defeating a team in the top 20," Dowd said. "We have a huge rivalry with them."
Virginia Commonwealth "is a top-20 team, it's going to be a challenge for us on the road," he added.
The Red and Blue will face the two eastern powers in dual matches this Saturday and Sunday.
