Quakers stuff Princeton 3-1

Princeton got stuffed again at the Palestra last night. And again and again and again. No, we are not discussing the plight of the Tiger basketball program. We are talking about the performance by senior captain Devon Austin, sophomore Nina Germanas and the rest of the Penn volleyball team. The Quakers (4-1 Ivy League, 11-3 overall) turned out another excellent team effort and played solid defense en route to a 15-12, 15-11, 8-15, 15-7 victory over Princeton (3-2, 6-5). Penn used its size advantage and aggressive style of play effectively throughout the match to keep the Tigers off-balance and continually force errors. "We just made too many mistakes, stupid mistakes," Princeton coach Glenn Nelson said. "We were tentative. Our hitters were not snapping, and we could not keep Penn off the net. Devon got hot and we couldn't stop her. I know [we] can play a lot better than it showed, though." Austin, who also had a great serving night with t0 points, was not the only Quaker to turn in an outstanding performance. Germanas, starting only her second game for Penn, contributed in every phase of the match. In game one, she served Penn to a 3-0 lead and came up with a huge block against Princeton sophomore star Candi Pearson for a point. The play ignited a Quaker rally that stretched the lead to 8-3, a deficit the Tigers could not overcome. Germanas contributed three more blocks in game two, helping to bring Penn back from a 5-1 hole. Later, Germanas broke an 11 all tie with an ace, and successfully served out the final three points to give the Quakers a two-game lead. "Nina played really aggressive the whole match," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "She played great. She always gets up for the Princeton match. I was also really pleased with Devon's play and her leadership." As usual, however, the key to Penn's success was its depth. The team received enormous contributions from senior Jennifer Ott, junior Karen Jones and freshman Alexis Usnick up front. Sophomore Heather Glick did an excellent job feeding these hitters all night, consistently finding mismatches and holes in the Princeton defense. Juniors Hallie Ben-Horin, Beatriz Rodriguez and Jennifer Richmond, along with sophomore Carol Cit-Kovic, all made enormous defensive plays for the Quakers in important situations. The only blemish in Penn's performance last night came in the form of a game-three letdown. After jumping out to a commanding two-game lead and reaching 8-8 in the third, the Quakers' energy level seemed to drop. Instead of going for the jugular and sending the Tigers home, Penn dropped eight points in a row to let Princeton back in the match. "We just got sloppy and made too many errors in game three," Feeney said. "We always talk about the dangers of getting complacent with a lead like that, but this is only the first time it has happened to us, so I'm not too worried." Any disappointments from this letdown were quickly overshadowed by Penn's excellent game-four performance. After dropping the first two points, the Quakers reeled off nine points in a row behind the serving of Ben-Horin and Austin to take control before coasting to a 15-7 win. "I challenged our players to win at least one point every time they served," Feeney said. "During that crucial time at the beginning of the fourth game, they responded." But that was not the only thing that was crucial. "Any win against Princeton is huge, it's that kind of rivalry" Austin said. "But, this is really important because it puts us one up. We're communicating well. We came out enthusiastic and intense tonight. It's easy to get up for Princeton." "We were really aggressive as a team," Germanas said. "Coming in, we were really psyched and ready mentally." The Tigers did not feel that they responded to the situation as well. "Normally, we tend to rise to the occasion," Pearson said. "But, we never really got started [last night]. We certainly didn't play our best, but Penn played well." The triumph was an important one for Penn not just because of the Princeton rivalry, but it put the Quakers in excellent position to gain the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Ivy League tournament. The only undefeated team left in the league is Cornell, which is still left on Penn's schedule. The Quakers feel confident about their chances against the Big Red and the team feels it will head into postseason play as the number one seed. "That top seed is especially important this year with so much parity in the league," Feeney said. "We would really like to play that eighth seed in the first round. But, whatever happens, it will come down to the end." Nelson had a somewhat different perspective on the game, the officiating, and possibilities concerning the Ivy tournament. "The officiating was horrible here," Nelson said. "Penn throws the ball all over the court. To me that's illegal. You don't see my teams doing it. Sure, if they can get away with it here, they'll do it. But, I don't know if they'll get away with that at Ivies." Nonetheless, the Quakers were able to notch another Ivy victory and take another step towards that No. 1 seeding. With the match against Cornell still to play, Penn's destiny is in its own hands. This win over Princeton, the Quakers' fourth in a row, gives Penn even greater confidence, which is perhaps more important than moving the Quakers into second place. There is no doubt in Penn's mind that if it meets the Tigers at the Ivies, the Quakers will win yet again.