Volleyball pre Villanova: Volleyball in search of Big 5 title

Cheesesteaks, pretzels, the Liberty Bell, and the Big Five are all defining elements of the city of Philadelphia. Tonight the Penn volleyball team will travel to Villanova to battle the Wildcats in a 7 p.m. match that will determine the Big Five City Series Championship. Both teams have defeated Temple and La Salle. St. Joe's does not have a volleyball program. Although city bragging rights are not as important to the Quakers (11-6) as an Ivy League championship, this is a very important match for a Penn squad that is coming off three consecutive losses in California and has Ivy foes Cornell and Columbia waiting in the wings. "Obviously, it's not as big as Ivies for us," Penn senior captain Devon Austin said. "But, we'd certainly like to win [the Big Five] this year. It's something that the team has not accomplished in [Penn coach Margaret Feeney's] four years." In fact, Penn has not won the City Series since 1987 – and despite the Quakers' strong play this season, a win against Villanova (17-7) is by no means guaranteed. The Wildcats, coming off seven wins in a row, are a big team led by senior outside hitter Becky Kulbago, who was named the Big East co-Player of the Week. Kulbago has also reached double figures in kills during 19 of the Wildcats' 24 matches. Believe it or not, Penn thinks it can use Villanova's height to its advantage. By increasing the tempo of the offense, playing scrappy defense, and keeping fresh bodies in the game, the Quakers think they can take advantage of the lack of the Wildcats' quickness and hustle. "Their defense is definitely the weak point," Austin said. "They don't substitute as much as we do, so a lot of those big bodies get caught playing defense in the back row and they're not as quick. They're certainly beatable." The Quakers are looking to apply as much pressure as possible to the vulnerable Wildcats in an effort to prevent a four-game losing streak. "Even though the team played very well in California, we didn't get a win," Feeney said. "It's important from a confidence standpoint to beat Villanova as we head towards the Ivy Tournament. Also, winning the Big Five is a big goal of ours." So, Penn is just one win away from gaining city bragging rights for the next year – and while the Big Five is no Ancient Eight, the Quakers would certainly not mind being the best of Philly.