W. Squash Upsets Princeton

"I couldn't be happier."

Although Harvard Coach Steve Piltch made this comment rather calmly, he certainly had reason to scream and shout after his women's squash team upset last year's national champion, Princeton, yesterday at Hemenway gym.

With the 5-4 victory, Harvard sent a clear signal that its team (which finished second to Princeton last year) is no longer the underdog in this intense squash rivalry.

"We knew it would come down to 5-4. We just didn't know where the wins would come from," Piltch said.

As it turned out, competition came down to the last match on the court. Of the eight matches completed, Harvard and Princeton had each won four.

Number-one seed sophomore Jordanna Fraiberg, already ahead 2-1, downed Princeton's Hope MacKay handily, 15-9, in the third game to secure Harvard's victory.

Fraiberg, who has competed against MacKay several times before, said this was her most decisive victory against her opponent so far.

"I didn't know that this game would decide the match," Fraiberg said. "The times I felt in trouble were when I hung back. I wanted to play up to my capabilities, not hers. But I felt confident."

"Everyone worked hard, it was a team effort," senior Tri-Captain Mary Greenhill said. "I think it was a question of everyone believing they could win."

Greenhill and junior Vanya Desai notched wins at the second and third positions.

Senior Carrie Cunningham, filling at the fourth spot for injured freshman Libby Eynon (shoulder injury), overcame her picky opponent. Princeton's Elizabeth Van Orman habitually called "lets," but Cunningham, instead of getting frustrated, continued to outhit her opponent.

"I didn't want to argue with it. It's not worth it," Cunningham said.

The fifth win came from determined sophomore Polly Butler, who captured a hard-fought five-game match against her opponent.

"It was as good a performance as you can ask for," Piltch said of Butler's game.

Coach Piltch stressed that even those players who did not win played with this same intensity.

Senior Brooke Bailey, sophomore Heather Sullivan, junior Kathy Shergalis and freshman Rosie Stovel all played solid matches.