Racquetwomen Trying to Defend Title

They were supposed to lose last year to Princeton or to Yale because last year, rumor said they lacked their usual stronghold of talent.

Last December, no realistic visions of victories danced in the heads of the Harvard women's squash players, because no one thought they could win it all. It was not outrageous fortune, however, that led the Harvard women's squash team to become the 1989-90 intercollegiate national champions. It was work. Hard work.

But this year, league prognosticators have picked Yale and Princeton ahead of the Crimson once again. The Tigers return all of their key players, while Yale's lineup boasts Berkeley Belknap, an early favorite for national champion.

Early in the 1990-91 season, with a 9-0 win against Bowdoin as its only security blanket, the Crimson faces another uphill winter. Eleven seniors graduated last year, including intercollegiate national champion and number-one seed, Jenny Holleran, and Co-captain and number-three seed, Hope Nichols.

"Last year was a long, hard haul, but it was definitely worth it," Co-captain Stephanie Clark said. "This year, we're facing another long, hard haul. But there's hope."

Like last year, the task of this year's team will be to make hope and hard work a winning duo. After last season's championship win against Yale, a 5-4 nailbiter, Harvard hopes to capitalize upon that duo again this season.

To win and to win big, the team must prepare its bevy of younger players for fierce, agressive college squash. One of the youngest, freshman Jordanna Fraiberg, must adapt to the psychological and physical intensity of college ball. As the 1989-90 U.S. and Canadian junior national champion, the top-seeded Fraiberg was raised in an intense squash environment. Her older brother, Jeremy, is one of the top two players on the men's team.

"Jordanna is an incredibly graceful player," Co-captain Daphne Onderdonk says. "She trains out of control."

But Fraiberg's specialty has always been softball squash, and she will need to adapt to the hardball game this winter. And while remaining freshmen and former top seeds in high school, Heather Sullivan and Polly Butler, do not lack ability, they have never played the contact squash that Princeton plays, or the psychological game that Yale loves.

Sophomores Kathy Shergalis and Paula Rand add depth to this year's team.

"It's a young team," Harvard Coach Steve Piltch said. "That doesn't bother me. I like the balance of youth and experience. I think our older players will all be among the better players around this year."

Those better players include seniors Clark and Onderdonk, both of whom helped the Crimson capture national championships in 1987-88 and last year. Both have played under squash greats Holleran and Dianna Edge, former intercollegiate champions.

"They could lead us to a banner season," Piltch said.

Another key to Harvard's season is the junior trio of Mary Greenhill, Brooke Bailey and Carrie Cunningham. Greenhill, who along with Clark, was an All-American last year, while Bailey's win in the Yale match clinched the national title. Cunningham battled a knee injury to provide key wins throughout the season.

If these juniors, who are known as three of the toughest players in the Ivy League, can stay healthy, the Crimson may be able to challenge for the crown again.

"We're definitely capable of winning it all," Onderdonk said.