SEASON REVIEW: True to Shakespeare, Volleyball season exeunts in tragedy

The story of the Penn volleyball team's season was right out of a Shakespearian play -- captivating, ultimately tragic, yet somehow inspiring. Act I began with Heather Tillett, a confident but untested leader, taking over the reigns after the graduation of all-Ivy setter Heather Glick. The team she inherited was plagued by inconsistency, but abundant with talent. Coach Margaret Feeney's challenge to the team was clear: play hard and smart and never give up. But all through Act II, the team just couldn't seem to stop the frustrating losses to teams it could have beaten. No good story works without an archrival, which of course in this case has to be Princeton. In the finale of Act III, the Quakers took a game from the Tigers in Princeton, N.J., for the first time in any of their careers, but Penn ultimately fell to its nemesis. The loss turned out to be all the inspiration the Quakers seemed to need, however, and, in Act IV, they proceeded to vanquish all of their next eight opponents. Everything was going great. The final act took place in Ithaca, N.Y., where in the Ivy League Tournament the Quakers once again found themselves in a battle to the death with Princeton. Despite another good effort, Penn lost, and its season was over. Exeunt. The season was notable for several reasons. First, the Ivy League this year was characterized by an unusual amount of parity between teams. For the first time in seasons, the field was truly open with the championship up for grabs. A virtual non-factor in previous years, Brown ended up winning the Ivy championship. "I really think this is one of the top teams," Penn senior middle blocker Jen Law said. "Unfortunately, every other Ivy League team had a top team as well. There was no dominant team at all during this entire season. Brown and Dartmouth -- these are two teams we would just walk over in past years and not even give a second thought to." Another major story this season was the emergence of the sophomore class. Making up half of the entire team, the sophomores led the team in many categories. Abby Daniels, whose body is attached to the strongest arm on the Quakers roster, led Penn in kills -- demoralizing opponents with 3.25 per game. Middle blocker Sue Sabatino led the team and the Ivy League in blocks, averaging 1.36 each game. Her contributions on offense included almost three kills per game and more Academy Award-caliber attack fakes than one can count. Fellow sophomore Megan McKay anchored the back row in more games than any other player. When not sprawled out on the floor after a spectacular dig, she also provided Penn's most dangerous serve. Middle blocker Karen Lewis recorded Penn's highest attack percentage, and, at 6-foot-2, was Feeney's secret weapon when an opposing hitter had to be neutralized. But the raw talent of Penn's young players could not have gelled without the more consistent and experienced upperclassmen. Tillett inspired confidence both through her smart play and her rallying war cries. Co-captain and fellow junior Jessica Luftman proved that an opposing blocker is a tool, not an obstacle. Law, one of the two seniors, showed her teammates that a challenge was something to rise up to through her aggressive and indomitable play. Karen Kinsherf, the other senior and co-captain, led the team in digs and all though the season was the model of consistency that the rest of the Quakers learned to emulate. Although the Quakers are losing two key players to graduation, with a final record of 19-10 (4-3 Ivy League) and an embarrassment of riches in the pool of remaining talent, next year's Quakers may hold even greater promise. "I think seniors always play a strong role," Kinsherf said, "but I think each year there are other players who step up and fill their shoes and take over that spot. I think they should have a good season next year, especially if they start off the way we ended and have things put together from the beginning." Maybe next season the Quakers will get their happy ending.