Volleyball

After finding hostile waters in the the oceans of California and the rivers of Philadelphia the Penn volleyball team is ready to return as the big fish in the Ivy League pond. The Quakers (4-1 Ivy League, 11-7 overall) are in the midst of a four-game losing streak. After three defeats in California over Fall Break, and most recently a 3-0 loss to Villanova Tuesday night, Penn looks to get back on track this weekend when they travel to Cornell (tonight) and Columbia (tomorrow afternoon). The loss to Villanova was particularly disappointing, because a victory would have given the Quakers a Big Five City Series title. Now Penn will turn its energies towards another goal, the Ivy League title. During this final weekend of Ivy League competition seeds will be determined for the Ivy League Tournament (Nov 12-14 at Columbia). The Quakers can clinch the second seed with a sweep of the Big Red (5-0, 12-5) and the Lions (3-2, 9-8). Cornell, the defending Ivy League Champion, is coming off a 3-1 loss to Villanova. Tonight's match against the Big Red is expected to be the tougher of the two opponents. "Cornell will be very aggressive, like Villanova," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "[During practice] we worked on a lot of serve reception. We tried to get back to basics. We're excited to get back to the Ivy schedule." Last year the Quakers defeated the Big Red 3-1 during the regular season, but Penn is anxious for its first shot at Cornell since losing to the Big Red twice, 3-1 and 3-2, in last year's Ivy Tournament. The second loss came in the finals of the tournament after the Quakers had advanced through the consolation bracket. "I'm fired up," Cornell coach Mersha Connelly said. "Penn and Cornell have always been big rivals." Cornell attacks with a strong front line, which is second in the league with 13.6 kills per game. Much of the success of the front line is due to sophomore setter Sara Thomas, who leads the Ivies with 10.8 assists per game. Although there is less hoopla surrounding tomorrow's match versus Columbia, the team is quick to point out that the match is no less important. "To get a second seed we need a sweep," Feeney said. "Columbia is a much improved team [from last year]. They have a lot of young talent. This will be a tough road trip." Last year the Quakers easily defeated the Lions 3-0. This season Columbia has shown marked improvement. The Lions will enter the the weekend with a 3-2 Ivy record and are coming off a 3-0 victory over La Salle. Although the team seemed concerned with its recent performance, Penn hopes that this weekend it can return to its pre-Fall Break form. "We have to get psyched," sophomore setter Heather Glick said. "We have to get our confidence back." Feeney explained that the Quakers will try to start using a more varied attack. While Devon Austin's 3.8 kills per game – good for third in the Ivy League – is an impressive statistic, Feeney believes teams are starting to key on Austin, so Penn must start using other players. "Cornell plays very good defense," Feeney said. "I expect a lot of long volleys. We've been working with our middle hitters and trying to vary our offense. Hopefully that will work to our advantage." With the Quakers back in the familiar waters of the Ivy League, the team is confident that it can regain its mid-season form.