Penn's Reta defeats nation's best player

Sunday was a bittersweet day for Penn women's squash (4-2) senior Runa Reta. On a negative note, her team fell to top-ranked Trinity, 7-2, at the Quakers' Ringe Squash Courts. However, on an extremely positive note, she defeated last year's national champion and current No. 1 in the nation Amina Helal. "It's always difficult when the team loses," Reta said. "But at the same time, I am proud of my accomplishment. I did what I had to do to help the team win. And, after all, Trinity is a very strong team." It was the first time Reta defeated Helal in her career and it was the first time they faced each other since last year's national championships. Reta fell to Helal, 3-2, in the semifinal of last year's Howe Cup, squash's intercollegiate individual championships. "I've been working hard over the last ten months since we've played," Reta said. "I think that's what made the difference." What makes Helal, who went 17-0 last season, so good? Reta credits her upbringing in Manchester, England. "She's had a lot of experience, and she's English," Reta said. 'The English are renowned for being good players. They have very good technique. She has very good coaches and very unorthodox style." Reta won her match, 3-1, (9-6, 7-9, 9-4, 9-5) and entering the match, was ranked fourth individually in the nation. Despite her big victory, Reta is always striving to become a better player. "I have a lot of room for improvement," she said. "My attacking game needs to be sharpened, and I need to start reducing my errors." The Red and Blue's only other win in the match came from No. 5 Tyler Pearce, a reporter for the Daily Pennsylvanian -- her opponent had to forfeit the match after an injury in the second game. With the loss, the Quakers now fall to 4-2 on the season and are currently ranked No. 6 in the nation. Nevertheless, Reta feels that the loss will also be beneficial for the Quakers. "It was a very good learning experience for our team," she said. Reta also points out the improvement of the team, which lost to Trinity, 9-0, last season. Next up for the Penn squad is a trip to Franklin and Marshall on Wednesday. Franklin and Marshall is not nearly as talented as Trinity. Last season, the Quakers knocked off the Diplomats, 8-1. Reta is confident about her team's chances. "We expect to win pretty easily," she said. Overall, it's clear that the team has improved. "We've improved so much since last year," Pearce said. "A girl on the [opposing] team mentioned that we looked stronger. It's definitely a good sign when someone from another team mentions that."

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