It may not have been the best start to Ivy League play, but Penn squash’s weekend was about on par with expectations. Collegiate powerhouse Harvard and their travel partners Dartmouth came to the Ringe Squash Courts, and the Crimson rolled through the men and women on Saturday.

For one Penn women’s squash player, the rise to the top just keeps on going. While the rest of campus was taking time off in December, sophomore Reeham Salah had a busy winter break, traveling to France to compete for Team USA in the World Women’s Team Squash Championships.

No. 1 vs. No. 2. It doesn’t get any more important than this. Penn squash has a high-stakes weekend coming up, including a top-two clash for the women against top-ranked Harvard.

The Penn women’s and men’s squash teams go into the winter break having two somewhat distinct experiences to start their seasons.

Sometimes Red, White and Blue comes before Red and Blue. For Penn squash phenom Reeham Salah, that was the case when she joined up with Team USA for the Women’s World Team Championships last weekend in Paris, France.

Championships are won in the offseason; so goes the age-old cliché. This saying holds true for the members of the Penn Squash team as well, but there’s another, more accurate saying for what they do in the offseason: championships are won all over the world. Just as it does with other sports, the offseason presents an extended opportunity for squash players to hone their craft and improve specific aspects of their game, be it fitness, technique, or movement.

Not all games are won on the court. Sometimes, the real differences are made on the sidelines, at the gym, or in the locker room.

Success breeds success. After dominating seasons last year, Penn squash will look to build upon its excellent foundations with stellar new recruits for this go around.

You can’t say it was an ordinary offseason for Penn squash. In a move that showed great faith in the Quakers' coaching staff, it was announced that both Jack Wyant and Gilly Lane would be getting promotions in the Penn squash program.

For one of the lower-profile teams on campus, Penn squash sure did have one heck of a 2015-16 season.

As Penn squash counts down the days until they set off on this newest adventure, the teams will be looking to their captains to see which direction they’re headed. Last season was undoubtedly a triumphant one for both sides of the Red and Blue.

January 14, 2017. Head coach of Penn women’s squash Jack Wyant may not personally have the date circled on his calendar, but the eyes of the college squash community will undoubtedly be on Philadelphia as Harvard heads to Ringe for a rematch of last year’s Howe Cup finals. But before either team makes it to that January matchup, they’ll have to battle through the brunt of their non-conference slate if they want to retain their spots at the top of the CSA rankings.

The winter sports season is right around the corner. In anticipation, our editors debated: Which team are you most excited to see play? Sports Editor Tom Nowlan: For me, the answer has got to be men’s hoops. A year ago, Steve Donahue’s first season as coach saw the Red and Blue overcome the loss of two star players: Tony Hicks sat out his final season of eligibility in order to use it at Louisville while Antonio Woods was ruled academically ineligible in January.

Before US Open champions Mohammed El Shorbaghy for the men and Camille Serme for the women are presented with their trophies, they will wait for head coach of the Penn women’s squash team to call their name. For the past four years, Gilly Lane has made the trek next door to Drexel University to serve as an emcee for the yearly US Open of Squash tournament. Before every match, the emcee is responsible for introducing each of the players and giving a quick bio before getting the crowd pumped up for the game.

On the heels of one of the best all-around seasons in Penn squash history, the Quakers are doing everything they can to maintain their success from 2015-16.

After coming agonizingly close to winning his first Howe Cup championship, Penn squash coach Jack Wyant couldn’t help but be pensive after the women's team lost, 5-4, to the defending champion Harvard. 

Come Sunday, both Penn squash teams will be playing in the finals against Harvard, the difference will be that one team will play for a national championship while the other team fight for a chance to keep their ranking. For the first time since Feb. 6, both Penn squash teams won on the same day in their respective national tournaments.