W. Squash | Jousting at Jadwin

Fractured tibia or not, senior co-captain Alisha Turner would not miss playing Princeton.

Last year Turner battled through her match in the national championship against the Tigers while nursing the injury that she had sustained a few days before.

"I guess I have a high pain threshold," Turner said. "It was the adrenaline. I was so pumped for that match."

However, when the Quakers head to Jadwin Gymnasium today to face the No. 1 Tigers (6-0, 2-0 Ivy), this time the Quakers will be in full health for the meeting of the two women's squash juggernauts. If No. 2 Penn (8-0, 3-0) wins, it will stand alone atop the Ancient Eight and become the number one team in the country.

The Quakers split with Princeton last year, winning both the regular-season matchup and Ivy League title. But as for the national championship game - which the Quakers lost, 6-3 - Penn faced two major obstacles.

"They had the advantage because it was on their courts and Alisha cracked her tibia," coach Jack Wyant said.

And to add insult to injury, Princeton Athletics recently named the Tigers' victory over Penn in last year's title game the 38th greatest moment in Jadwin history.

One would expect Penn to be overly hyped for the game due to both its implications and the chance to avenge last year's bitter loss -- the Quakers' only one of the season. Yet, chill is the best way to describe Wyant and his players' approach to the game.

"I have to admit, the first year I played them, I was pretty hyped up," Wyant said. After the team's disappointing showing in that match, he made a point of maintaining an even-keeled demeanor during future preparations.

"We're so meticulous," senior Tara Chawla added. "We approach each match the same."

Both the Tigers and the Quakers are waging stellar undefeated campaigns. The Red and Blue, though, have had to navigate an exceedingly difficult schedule. Princeton, on the other hand, has yet to face a top-five opponent.

"We don't think this one match will define whether our season will be a great one or not," Princeton coach Gail Ramsay wrote in an e-mail, "as it is just the first of what promises to be a series of tough matches for us."

The Quakers, meanwhile, are fresh off of a victory over No. 3 Trinity.

They will, of course, face a tough task as the Princeton lineup has no glaring weaknesses, even while playing without juniuor Neha Kumar for the last three games - the same Kumar who defeated Turner in last season's championship match.

Ramsay, for her part, has the utmost respect for both teams.

"All the matches from one to nine will be a battle," Ramsay wrote. "There are no easy wins for either team in my opinion."

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