PHILADELPHIA – The bottom of the ladder excelled for the women's squash team on Friday, but it came up just short of a huge upset with a 5-4 loss to Penn at Kline & Specter Squash Center.
 
With the teams playing the five-court system and evens leading off, 11th-ranked Cornell (4-9, 1-5 Ivy League) scratched out a 2-all tie after the opening rotation. Senior Hannah Scherl continued her strong play with a three-game victory at No. 8, giving her wins in five of her last six matches. After sixth-ranked Penn (9-4, 3-3) won matches at Nos. 2 and 4, sophomore Mimi deLisser outlasted her opponent in a marathon five-game affair at No. 6 to knot the score.
 
All of the odd matches were then decided in the minimum three games. Senior Lauren Leizman won handily at No. 9, and junior Lucy Martin accounted for the Big Red's fourth point at No. 7. Freshman Siva Subramaniam was defeated for the first time in the collegiate ranks at No. 1, though it took two-time Ivy League Player of the Year and reigning CSA individual national champion Reeham Salah to do so. With the loss, Cornell falls to 2-28 all-time against Penn.
 
Cornell's regular season concludes with a Senior Day doubleheader on Sunday at Belkin International Squash Courts in Ithaca. The Big Red hosts Princeton at noon, then St. Lawrence at 5 p.m.
 
PENN 5, CORNELL 4
National rankings: Penn 6, Cornell 11
At Kline & Specter Squash Center; Philadelphia, Pa.
1. Reeham Salah (P) def. Siva Subramaniam, 11-4, 11-6, 13-11
2. Jessica Davis (P) def. Lily Zelov, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
3. Jamila Tamer (P) def. Nghi Nguyen, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7
4. Julia Buchholz (P) def. Madison Miles, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
5. Lindsay Stanley (P) def. Colby Gallagher, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4
6. Mimi deLisser (C) def. Clare Kearns, 14-12, 10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5
7. Lucy Martin (C) def. Haley Scott, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8
8. Hannah Scherl (C) def. Nicole Windreich, 11-4, 11-7, 11-9
9. Lauren Leizman (C) def. Margaret Frantz, 11-5, 11-7, 11-4
Ex. Steph Tan (C) def. Mikaela Salvesen-Quinn, 11-3, 11-3, 11-3