Vball ready for Quaker Classic

Even though the Penn volleyball team is heading into a tournament that pales in comparison to next weekend's Ivy tournament, the Quakers are still going all-out in practice. During their final preparation before tomorrow's Quaker Classic Volleyball tournament at the Palestra, the Quakers (11-7, 6-1 Ivy League) still showed that hustle was job No. 1. Seniors Carol Cit Kovic and Keri Gibson could be found spending as much time on the ground diving for balls as they spent standing up. The constant encouragement of every team member echoed throughout the Palestra as Penn reminded one another they were in a game-like situation, and maximum effort was necessary. But when the Quakers face La Salle today at 7 p.m. -- and Drexel tomorrow at 11 a.m. and the 6-22 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers at 6 p.m. -- the Quakers will be playing all-out, but not for reasons one might expect. Penn will focus on two tasks at the Quaker Classic. When Penn plays the Explorers (3-24) tonight, the development of a strong serve is the first priority. "La Salle does not have strong ball-handlers," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "To take advantage of this, we have to use our serving as an offensive weapon." The Quakers will also use the invitational as a means of gaining confidence for the Ivies -- only a sweep will accomplish this goal. But the Drexel Dragons (14-18) represent the toughest opponent of the weekend, primarily because they boast a potent one-two punch. The Dragons are led by senior setter Kim Spottswood, and classmate Ann Crnich, who sparkles as an outside hitter. Spottswood is needed for a Dragon victory because she runs the team. She boasts the 10th best setting percentage in the country, and has been named the most valuable player, or has been named to the all-tournament team, in every invitational she has played in since the beginning of her junior year. But it is not all the accolades she has won that worries Feeney -- it is her smart play that will be the real test for Penn. "What makes her a great setter is that she is very deceptive," Feeney said. "She's always tipping or dumping the ball every other play." This will also better prepare the Quakers because Princeton setter Kristin Spataro plays in a similar fashion. Despite Spottswood's presence, it has been the absence of Crnich that has sent Drexel into the midst of a six-game losing streak. Before Crnich went down with a knee injury two weeks ago, the Dragons were riding the momentum of five consecutive wins. The Quaker Classic marks her return. "It's a blessing to get Ann back from her knee injury," Drexel coach Scott Pennewill said. "Before her problems, she was leading our team in every category -- blocking, hitting and passing." The goal of this weekend is very simple for Penn: to go out and win the whole tournament. By playing teams with a dismal 23-64 combined record, this task should not be as difficult as what the Quakers did at the end of yesterday's practice. Feeney had to keep the whole team for an extra 15 minutes as the players combed the bleachers for a missing ball.