Hebden bests former teammate in Penn win

Britt Hebden and Katie Corelli both know what it's like to play squash for the Quakers - they were teammates on the Quakers of Penn Charter, and were on their 2006 national runner-up squad.

Hebden and Corelli are still playing squash together, but now as opponents. The former teammates squared off at Ringe Courts Sunday when the Penn's women's squash team faced No. 6 Stanford, with Hebden - still on the Quakers - winning in four games.

"Britt has made a lot of progress," Penn coach Jack Wyant said. "She's a much better defensive player now."

Hebden's win helped Penn complete a weekend trifecta. After dispatching Cornell, 7-2, on Saturday morning, they shut out Middlebury, 9-0, without anyone losing a game, and put the icing on the cake with a 7-2 rout of Stanford.

Junior Kristen Lange, sophomore Annie Madeira, junior Christina Matthias and senior Tara Chawla won all of their matches in straight games over the weekend.

Their showdown with Cornell was the first in the Quakers' quest to defend their Ivy league title. Freshman Taylor Booth collected her first collegiate victory, helping Penn take an early lead atop the Ancient Eight.

The most exciting match of the meet pitted Penn junior Sydney Scott against Cornell freshman Shivangi Paranjpe. Paranjpe took an early 2-0 lead in games and led 5-0 in game three, but Scott rattled off five straight points to rally to a 5-5 tie.

The very vocal Paranjpe lost her composure and argued points with Penn scorekeeper Lange. Scott then went on a 4-0 run to win the game, 9-5, and earn the momentum heading into the fourth game.

However, Paranjpe kept her emotions in check and won a hard fought fourth game, 10-8. Even though Scott came up short, she showed great shot-making ability and determination throughout the match.

"Her opponent played really well," Wyant said. "If Sydney could have won the fourth game, the result would have been different."

Scott, a returning All-American, went on to win her next two matches of the weekend in straight games.

The Cardinal limped into Ringe a half-hour late yesterday and without their No. 1 player, senior Lily Lorentzen who had a broken foot.

Lange, the No. 1 player in the country, handily defeated Stanford junior Katy Brewster, but Brewster gave her some trouble in the first game.

"The first game is about getting out there and feeling your opponent out," Lange said. "Once you get into a groove you know your game plan."

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