Women's squash handles Cornell, but Trinity and Yale will challenge young team

It's early in the season, but the Tigers are already proving themselves a major force this year in women's squash.

Competition will be tough from other Ivy League teams and especially from last year's national champions, Trinity College. But Princeton is working hard to rise in the ranks of teams to beat.

With a strong history in squash, Princeton has every reason to hope for great things this season.

Squash first appeared at Princeton as one of the six original women's varsity sports 30 years ago in 1972. The Tigers have won the Howe Cup, the college national championship, 14 times since then — most recently in 1998 and 1999. Last year, the Tigers again participated in the Howe Cup, but they came up short of the title. Losses to Trinity and Yale gave them a fourth-place finish in the national standings and a third-place finish in the Ivy League.

History was once again on the side of the Tigers this past Sunday as they faced Cornell (0-1 overall, 0-1 Ivy League). Princeton had opened every season since 1998 with a victory over the Big Red.

This time was no different.

A 9-0 sweep of Cornell helped Princeton (1-0, 1-0) show the rest of the Ivy League that the Tigers are out to win.

Princeton won every individual best-of-five match in just three games.

Freshman Ruchika Kumar, playing in the No. 1 position, displayed few rookie mistakes in her first appearance: she lost only two points in the three games she played. She defeated her opponent, 9-2, 9-0, 9-0.

"There is definitely pressure playing at No. 1, but I think I had enough experience to help me overcome the stresses and pull through for my team," Kumar said. "I was really proud of our team's performance."

Senior captains Jen Singleton (No. 7) and Helen Smith (No. 9) led their team to victory with overwhelming wins of their own. Singleton won her match, 9-6, 9-0, 9-0, and Smith took hers, 9-4, 9-0, 9-0. Sophomore Anne Warner, playing at No. 6, lost only one point as she defeated her opponent, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0.

When the Cornell match was all over, Princeton had won 243 out of a total of 292 points played.

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Still, the Tigers have a long way to go if they want to earn the Ivy League title this season.

"We are working hard to improve our individual games and to be the most fit team out there," said head coach Gail Ramsay. "But the league is probably the strongest I have ever seen it."

Yale and Harvard are again very strong teams this year, and Princeton will have to work hard to overcome the depth of these teams. Aside from these two, several other Ivy teams pose a threat to the Tigers.

"Dartmouth and Brown are also solid teams and will be tough competition for us," Ramsay said.

With many fairly young players, the Tigers have room to grow this season both individually and as a team. Out of the nine players facing Cornell, two were freshmen and four are sophomores.

The Tigers look forward to surprising other Ivy League teams this season.

Princeton will next face the Brown Bears on Saturday, Dec. 7 in Providence. The next day the Tigers travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to take on Vassar and Franklin and Marshall for two non-league matches before their Winter Break begins. A key home date with Trinity looms Jan. 11. The Bantams are the defending NCAA champions.