Penn squad happy to play the underdog

Statistics mean nothing on the court — at least that’s what the Quakers hope to prove this weekend.

The Penn women’s tennis team (8-3) will take on Princeton (8-4) this Saturday at home in its first Ivy match of the season.

Coming off a hot streak, the Red and Blue believe in their ability to pull off the upset.

“On paper, Princeton is a favorite, which is fine,” coach Sanela Kunovac said. “Sometimes it’s easier to play from behind.”

Kunovac is certain that the team has made great progress since last year’s match with the Tigers, which they lost, 6-1.

“Princeton is stronger [than last year],” Kunovac said. “But I think we are stronger too.”

The Tigers will indeed be tough competitors, featuring freshman Amanda Muliawan, who won the regional championship earlier this year.

“We are not really worried about how we look on paper,” Kunovac said. “We are worried about the matchups.”

The matchup involving Penn’s doubles pair of sophomore Sol Eskenazi and freshman Sonya Latycheva is what Princeton should be worried about. Currently, the pair is ranked 32nd nationally in doubles.

“They are ranked for a reason,” Kunovac said. “And they are consistently ranked, because they have consistently been playing well.”

Eskenazi revealed that the pair’s secret is their cohesion.

“We complement each other really well,” Eskenazi said. “When she’s serving, I take advantage of the net, and when I’m serving she does the same.”

Though doubles is usually a strong suit for the Quakers, they are at a loss without senior captain Jules Rodin, who is out for the season due to an ankle injury.

“I think if we had Jules [at the Temple match], we wouldn’t have lost the No. 2 doubles — the pair that she is usually a part of,” Kunovac said.

Even if Rodin isn’t on the court, she’ll still be at the match to support her teammates.

“Jules isn’t gone,” junior co-captain Stephanie Do said. “She comes to the matches, so there is no added pressure mentally. We just have to play a little harder on the court.”

Although the players may not recognize it, Kunovac believes that the injury has brought the team to a new level.

“It gives us an added focus,” Kunovac said. “You don’t want it to come from an injury, but given what we have, we are maximizing it.”

Weather permitting, the team will play outside at Hamlin Courts for the first time this spring.

“We are just all really excited to get out there and compete,” Do said. “We want to show the league what we have.”

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.