PITTSBURGH – The women's tennis team will put its unbeaten record to the test this weekend with a rare trip to The Steel City for matches against Pittsburgh and Duquesne at Alpha Tennis and Fitness. With a pair of victories this weekend, Cornell (5-0) can tie its best start to a spring season since it began competition in 1973.
 
The Big Red's hot start has most recently seen a pair of home victories over Albany (6-1) and Fairleigh Dickinson (7-0) on Saturday at Reis Tennis Center. Freshmen Laila Judeh and Dena Tanenbaum are both an undefated 5-0 in singles matches, while junior Ryann Young and sophomore Lauren Frazier are both 4-0. Seniors Sarah O'Neil and Christine Ordway continue to anchor the top two spots in the lineup, having won four of their five matches to date. Cornell is also 13-1 in doubles matches.
 
Pittsburgh (4-5) has dropped three of its matches by a 4-3 score, including Sunday's home loss to California (Pa.). The Panthers' other two losses have come in Big East play against Syracuse and Georgetown. The team has kicked off its current four-match home stand with a 6-1 victory over Villanova to improve to 1-2 in the Big East. Taylor Washington it the squad's primary competitor at the No. 1 singles position. Amanda Wickman is 8-1 from the bottom half of the lineup, including a No. 6 position where the Panthers are a perfect 9-0. Similarly, Pittsburgh is 9-0 at the No. 3 spot in doubles.
 
Duquesne (4-4) is also coming off a loss, having dropped a 6-1 affair against Cleveland State. The Dukes are two games deep in Atlantic 10 play, having defeated Saint Joseph's on Feb. 15 and lost to George Washington two days later by identical 4-3 scores. Thirteen of Duquesne's 20 singles victories have come from the bottom half of the lineup, including a 5-0 record from Chandler Consonery at No. 5 and 4-1 mark from Laurence Lambert at No. 6. Judy Li is the primary competitor at No. 1 singles, while Sarah Shashura and Megan O'Sullivan typically fill out the top of the lineup while also teaming up to form the No. 1 doubles tandem.
 
The only other time Cornell has been to Pittsburgh in its program history was 2008, when defeated the Panthers, 5-2, before wrapping up the road trip the following day at Ohio State. That was also the only time Cornell and Pittsburgh have ever met, and the Big Red carries an identical 1-0 record against Duquesne. The Dukes came to Ithaca, N.Y. for the Cornell Invitational in March 1994, with the Big Red securing a 7-0 victory to win the tournament.
 
With a win over Pittsburgh, the Big Red will have its first 6-0 start in 2008. A weekend sweep would vault Cornell to 7-0 for the first time since 1996 — the only other time its happened.