Racquets silenced as streak finishes

The end of winter break brought an end of a different sort to the Penn women's squash team. After winning 15 consecutive matches, dating back to the start of last season, the Penn women's squash team's (4-1) winning streak died. Trinity (2-0) defeated the host Quakers on Sunday, 6-3. It was a day for ending streaks, as Penn's No. 1 player, sophomore Runa Reta, not only suffered her first defeat of the season, but was scored upon for the first time since last year. Trinity freshman Amina Helal did the damage. "I remembered her from junior world competition," Reta said of Trinity's star. "My other opponents are not even comparable. She had more match experience with tougher competitors." The Bantams, ranked third in the nation -- one spot behind the Quakers -- added two international athletes this semester to further improve their already strong squad. One of these foreign phenoms was Helal, who proved she will be a force for the next four years on the collegiate level. "They have a really strong lineup, from one to nine," Penn senior Megan Fuller said. "They just got two new players who have a really strong history in squash. They could be the strongest team in intercollegiate squash right now." Experience seemed to be the key to matching up with the Bantams, as all three Red and Blue victories came from seniors -- Helen Bamber, co-captain Rina Borromeo and Fuller. "The seniors in the middle [of the ladder] have more experience and we're depended on more to get the wins," Borromeo said. "We know the ins and outs of pulling out wins." Bamber, who took first semester off to study abroad, returned to the lineup for the first time this semester, along with junior Chrissy Eynon, -- who missed the first half of the season due to injuries. Their return will not only give the Quakers two veterans to bolster their roster, but also two upperclassmen who can provide more leadership. "It's great to have them back for our lineup, but it's as important to have them back for team morale," Penn coach Deming Holleran said. Perhaps the most important outcome of the match was not the score, but what the Quakers were able to learn about themselves after playing against a tough opponent. "It was a shock going from lower caliber teams to a really competitive one," Reta said. "It gave our freshmen a good look at what strong squash is like and it awakened everyone to the fact that there are teams nipping at our heels." The Quakers still have their sights set on being No. 1 at the end of the season and defending the three championship titles they won last year. "I expect our players to train as hard as they can, be optimistic about winning, and be the best that they can be," Holleran said. "We lost to a very good team and I feel very optimistic about our chances for the rest of the season." The Quakers certainly have their work cut out for them in the weeks ahead -- their next match is January 26, when they travel to Princeton to face the third-ranked Tigers (2-1) in the Constable Invitational. Their tough schedule continues when they meet Princeton again in early February and face top-ranked Harvard on February 10. "Harvard, Trinity and Princeton are our toughest competitors," Borromeo said. "Each team has different strengths.... [The loss] shows we need a lot more work throughout the ladder and we should use it to inspire us and make us work harder." Sunday's defeat, despite being a blemish on their record, may turn out to be just what the Quakers need to realize what they must accomplish in order to stay on top.

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