CSA Individual Championships | Lange climbs final rung

The last time the No. 1 and No. 2 women's squash players met, the seasonal showdown between No. 4 Trinity and No. 3 Penn was at a very familiar venue - Ringe Courts.

Though the Quakers won the match, 5-4, it was not without suffering some heartbreakers, including when Trinity's Nour Baghat handed Penn's Kristin Lange her first loss of the season.

But that was back in January, and now it's payback time.

This weekend four Penn women will travel to Williams in Williamstown, Mass., to compete in the College Squash Association Individual Championships, where Lange hopes to face her rival once again. Senior Alisha Turner (No. 21), and juniors Britt Hebden (No. 27) and Christina Matthias (No. 34) will join her.

Each top-five college team brings four players to the event. Coach Jack Wyant based his choices on the womens' places on Penn's ladder and their physical health. Unfortunately, junior Sydney Scott, who normally plays at No. 2 for Penn, will not make the trip due to complications with a knee injury.

Lange is ranked No. 2 in the tournament (behind Bahgat) and is confident in her ability to play her best this weekend.

"I have the ability to go for shots that I need to, but at the same time I have the ability to keep the ball going for longer points," Lange said. "I think that will really work well against anyone I play.

"I also think playing confidently is going to be huge - just believing that I can go in there and win every match."

Lange made it to the finals her freshman and sophomore years. This year, the junior is looking to win it.

"I think Kristin has a really well-rounded game," Wyant said. "She's highly confident in most areas of the game. Her tactics, technique, and quickness are all good, and she's very strong mentally."

That mental toughness will be especially important in a tournament that typically sees plenty of upsets. Since the players are seeded individually, women normally playing in the No. 1 spot for their teams will have the chance to play opponents normally at other spots on their team's ladders. And that causes plenty of parity.

"One of the things that's so exciting is that you get so many matchups in this tournament that you don't see in the regular season, and that makes for some really interesting matchups," Wyant said.

According to Wyant, the competition at this year's event will be the best it has ever been.

"The No. 32 seed this year will be the most challenging No. 32 seed I've [ever] seen in the draw," he said. "There will be no easy matches. It's going to be a good task for whoever ends up winning it."

Wyant believes Turner, the sole senior playing for the Quakers, is primed to cause one of the inevitable upsets.

"Alisha is incredibly fast and a good player. She gets to so many balls and makes it really difficult for her opponents to put the ball away," Wyant said. "She's also a senior, so mentally she's really focused on this weekend, and she finished the season well."

Wyant believes his other players are equally prepared for the weekend's matches.

"[Hebden] is a really good shot-picker. She can put the ball away when she goes for it," Wyant said. "[Matthias] is a really fit, strong player, and she also has a really good touch. . She's really worked hard to make some technical changes, which is very difficult to do."

In addition to playing well individually, the four Penn players are looking for a shot at All-American and All-Ivy honors. However, Wyant has a more practical focus.

"I hope they'll be thinking more about executing, playing to the best of their ability and getting better. That's the focus of every day."

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