W. Squash | Will Penn Eph up perfection?

The women's squash team looks unbeatable - again.

After winning its first six matches of the season for the third straight year, Penn will host No. 9 Williams and No. 17 Amherst tomorrow for its first matches at Ringe Courts in nearly two months.

The No. 2 Quakers haven't lost a regular season match in nearly two calendar years, and they shook off the Winter Break dust with a 9-0 rout of Franklin and Marshall Wednesday.

But as coach Jack Wyant explained, the Red and Blue's next opponents might not be so easy.

"Williams the past couple years has been a top-10 team ... They're pretty strong, and they have a very strong number one girl," Wyant said.

"In terms of Amherst, I think that they are a step behind Williams in terms of their level and ranking."

Wyant noted the scheduling advantage of playing Amherst first in the day, before the higher-ranked Williams.

To be exact, Williams and Amherst are a combined 12-8, but the two have yet to win a match against an Ivy League opponent this season. That's not good news when walking into the house of undefeated Penn, which beat both squads early last season.

"I would say we definitely have an advantage," junior Christina Matthais said. "But they're definitely stronger teams [than they were last season]."

Still, Penn is hot, and a 5-4 December victory over now-No. 5 Yale might be all the motivation the Red and Blue need to carry them through their next three non-conference games.

And Williams' strong number one? Two-time All-American Toby Eyre, who played her high school squash in nearby Gladwyne, Pa.

"[Eyre] has really grown as a player since she's gone to Williams," Wyant said. "Kristen [Lange] will have her hands full."

Lange - Penn's No. 1 and a two-time All-American herself - is undefeated on the season. Even if she slips, it's unlikely Williams can outmatch the rest of the Quakers' lineup.

The emphasis this weekend is on improvement. Penn's matchup with No. 1 Princeton is less than two weeks away.

"Every time the women step on the court it's an opportunity for them to improve in one way or another," Wyant said.

"The Amherst opponents may not be the strongest they've seen all year, but that doesn't mean we can't make strides when we're on court with them."

- Staff writer Stephanie Ragg contributed reporting to this article.

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