Volleyball faces Delaware

Hoping to improve its 3-3 record, The Penn volleyball team faces Delaware and Colgate this weekend. The Quakers will attempt to play junior Karen Lewis, who has been out with an injury for most of the season. Lewis practiced yesterday with the team, and her recovery will be a factor in games to come. With recent injuries it has been hard for the Quakers to have a consistent group of starters. "This is a pivotal weekend. We need to find a lineup that clicks," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. Although this is not a conference game, it is still vital for finalizing a lineup for Wednesday's Ivy League opener against Princeton. Sophomore captain K.C. Potter believes the team needs to "key in on defense, since we are running a new defense. We need to get more comfortable as a team defensively." Penn leads the league in blocks, thanks in part to junior Sue Sabatino, who will be a key player, according to Feeney. Sabatino has 36 blocks so far this season. Tomorrow night at 7 p.m., the Quakers will face Delaware (6-5), a team they did not play last season. The two teams faced off twice in 1995, and both times Penn fell victim to the wrath of the Raiders, who went on to win the North Atlantic Conference championship. Since then, Delaware has acquired sophomore Joanna Dusza, who has posted solid numbers (126 kills, 129 digs) so far this season. Last year, Dusza was named first-team All-America East (formerly known as the North Atlantic Conference). Penn's matchup with Colgate is another that hasn't happened in recent years. Colgate has posted six wins and six losses thanks to two key players. Judy Culhane and Lisa Breiner are averaging 3.27 and 3.39 kills per game, respectively, more than anyone on Penn's team. On the other side of the net, the Quakers need to focus on running their offense, according to Penn captain Megan McKay. However, the Quakers' serving is strong, as they lead the Ivy League in service aces. Some key servers are freshman Diana Meek and senior Heather Tillet, who together account for half of the team's service aces. "It's important that we play hard all the way through, coming out strong for every point," McKay said. Teammate and sophomore K.C. Potter reinforces that it is important to have "confidence in ourselves, and our teammates. We need to come out with our heads in the game."