V-ball shows big heart in comeback

Quakers go 2-2 at Naval Classic while preparing for Ivy Tourney The Army and Navy are relied on to defend our nation against attacks from other countries. But the United States should be thankful volleyball is not a matter of national security, especially when Penn is on the offensive. At the Navy-Forrestal Invitational this weekend, the Quakers volleyball team (15-12) defeated the Cadets and the Midshipmen on their way to a 2-2 record. The losses came at the hands of UNC-Wilmington and Delaware. After beginning the tournament with a win against Navy (14-20), and a loss to UNC-Wilmington (15-7), Penn faced Army. In what would turn out to be their best win of the season, the Quakers did something very few teams are able to do -- come back from a 2-0 deficit. After dropping the first two sets 15-3 and 15-9, the Quakers were in search of a spark that would end their three-match downward spiral, which began when they were shut out by Cornell last weekend. Towards the end of the third set against Army, the Quakers found themselves trailing 13-9 and facing a second consecutive shutout. But then it happened. Penn rallied from the deficit to win the third set, 15-13, and eventually went on to win the final two. "We had talked about [coming back from 2-0 deficits] all year," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "We refused to give up, and we fought hard throughout the game. This is a great quality to have, and it's coming just in the nick of time." Penn was sparked by its inside hitters, who continued to play consistently well. In all four games, the trio of junior Jen Law and freshmen Sue Sabatino and Karen Lewis excelled. The question early in the season was how or when would the young Penn team mature. Now this question may have been resolved. The freshmen have grown by leaps and bounds, and Feeney has gotten to the point where she feels they are some of the leaders. "It was a great effort by our inside hitters," Feeney said. "Jen Law, Sue Sabatino and Karen Lewis, our three middle blockers, have become interchangeable. It's nice to have such depth at such a tough position that involves a lot of movement and requires you to be in great shape." Against the Cadets, the Quakers let co-captain Heather Glick lead the way, as they have done all season. A shoe-in for the all-Ivy team, Glick consistently set up the Penn hitters. In addition to the usual recipients, Lindsay Anderson was on the receiving end of many of Glick's feeds. Anderson, who has seen significantly less playing time than any of the other star freshmen, filled in magnificently at outside hitter for the injured Jessica Luftman. She shined in both Quakers victories, amassing 27 kills to lead Penn. Her performance was an unexpected bonus for Feeney. Anderson did not just turn in a stellar performance in the role of Luftman's understudy. She also proved to Feeney that she presents yet another young weapon that will be at Penn's disposal for not just next weekend's Ivy tournament, but for the next three years. The come-from-behind victory against Army was crucial because it brought the team together, according to Feeney. With the season's climax coming in this weekend's Ivy League tournament, Penn needed a rallying point -- and it got one. "It was a great team effort," Feeney said. "We got a lot of confidence, and we're looking forward to playing Harvard, Friday at 1 [p.m.]" in the first round of the tournament.