Fresh off a win against Harvard. Volleyball battles two-time defending champion Princeton

The Quakers have not beaten the Tigers in the past two years, but the teams are more even this time Only two players on the Quakers roster can remember the last time that Penn beat Princeton. The year was 1993 and the Quakers beat them twice, once in mid-season at the Palestra and once in the Ivy League Tournament at Columbia. Not a single player on Penn's squad has been part of a team that beat the Tigers in Princeton. In fact, the last time the Quakers took a game from the Tigers, most of the Penn players hadn't even sent in their college applications. Tonight in Princeton the Quakers (10-7, 2-2 Ivy) face the Tigers for the first time this season. But despite Princeton's recent success against Penn, the Quakers situation is far from hopeless. In last weekend's win over then-undefeated Harvard, Penn beat a team that had just administered a 3-0 thrashing to the Tigers. The win has given Penn an extra shot of confidence as it faces it's age-old rival. "I never mind being the underdog," senior middle blocker Jennifer Law said. "I think the team is going to feel really strong after this win against Harvard. That was a huge win." Last year, when Penn first met Princeton, the Tigers' record stood at 12-1 with a perfect 4-0 in the Ivies. In its second meeting, during the Ivy League Tournament, Princeton was about to win the Ivy championship for the second year in a row. The Tigers are a different team this year. Their record stands at just 6-8 (2-2 Ivy), and their roster has undergone some drastic changes since last season. Most notably, setter Kristen Spataro is gone. As the Ivy Tournament MVP in both years that Princeton won the championship, Spataro was the backbone of her team. "She was their setter and as a court leader was excellent," Law said. "She's one of those girls you hate playing against but probably love playing with. Luckily we have Heather Tillett and she's playing great. Everyone's really confident with [her]." With Tillett's solid direction of the Quakers offense, a Penn win will likely hinge on the mental intensity of the players, which has been an occasional problem this season. When all of the Quakers show up ready to play, they are a formidable group with few weak spots. But several of the Quakers efforts have been somewhat lackluster. "We know we can beat them physically," Tillett said. "We just need to go in there and be confident, and know that we hate Princeton." The fact that the competition is Princeton should be motivation enough for the Red and Blue. Unfortunately for the Quakers, such rivalries often bring out the best in the opposing team as well. "Princeton's always tough to play at Princeton," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "We're hoping that we're going to be able to ride this high from the Harvard win." To have chalked up a win against Princeton -- in Princeton -- would a major bonus for Penn as it approaches the Ivy Tournament. The players know they can win, and they know how important this game is for them. "We want to take this game from them," Law said. "It's huge."