PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 31 - Twenty-four hours ago - before their match against Princeton - the Quakers were in both an enviable and precarious position. They were the No. 1 women's squash team in the country with only three matches left.
But that meant that if they lost, they'd have only two matches to try to regain the top spot.
Now, that's where the Quakers (6-1, 3-1 Ivy) find themselves after a stunning 7-2 loss to the No. 5 Tigers (5-0, 3-0) at Jadwin Courts.
"It's really disappointing for us," Penn coach Jack Wyant said. "The women have worked so hard all season."
Just like in the Quakers' dual-match against Trinity on Sunday, freshmen Kristen Lange and Sydney Scott and senior Paula Pearson - the top three for Penn - all lost.
But this time there would be no recovery as only freshman Britt Hebden and sophomore Alisha Turner came away with victories for the Red and Blue, playing out of the No. 4 and No. 7 spots.
Scott's match, a 3-2 loss to Neha Kumar, was particularly heartbreaking. Scott took a lead after a stretch of what her coach called "the best I've ever seen her play." The two competitors traded soft drop shots and sharp backhands, but Scott lost the momentum she had built and the match slipped away from her.
"Sydney didn't quite have enough today," Wyant said. "But I'd love our chances if the two of them met up again."
In a surprising reversal, Pearson - not just a seasoned veteran but a co-captain - lost to a freshman, Amanda Siebert. Despite all her experience, Pearson did not play up to her opponent in the big points, according to her coach.
At the top, Lange had trouble against senior Claire Rein-Weston. Wyant would offer no excuses for this match either, saying that she was simply outplayed on this day.
He was quick to give credit to the Tigers, saying that "they handled the situation and pressure better than we did."
Moreover, he felt that Penn was mentally prepared to play, and that given the Quakers' tough practice schedule, physical preparation would not have been an issue either.
Now the women's attention turns to No. 4 Harvard, which is fighting to maintain an undefeated season and garner a No. 1 ranking as well.
There is still an outside chance that the Quakers could reposition themselves in the driver's seat. If Harvard beats Princeton and Penn beats Harvard, then all three teams will have only one loss when the final rankings come out.
Wyant still has hope that Penn's strong performances the rest of the season will carry some weight.
"We've beaten Yale and Trinity," he said. "Princeton just had a better day today."
It could be a while before the players, who weren't made available for comment, will stop feeling the sting from this loss.
Listening to Wyant, though, one thinks that against the Crimson, they're only going to let their rackets do the talking.
