Volleyball hosts Quaker Classic this weekend

Penn will face UNH, Navy and Drexel - three teams that have played more games than the Quakers. Thus far, the Penn volleyball team has gotten off to a bit of a slow start. The team's record is 1-2, but with the Quaker Classic starting tomorrow, the team can get right back on track. With the injury of junior Karen Lewis, one of the Quakers' major starting players, another player will have to pick up the slack. Freshman Diana Meek will shift from the right side to take over the key position in the middle. This will be a huge tournament for Meek, not only because she will be starting in a new position, but also because with the round-robin format of this tournament, Meek will be facing her sister, Nicole. Penn will have to compete against New Hampshire, Navy and Meek's sister's team, Drexel. Penn will enter the tournament as the defending champion. Last year, the three teams competing were Towson, Rutgers and Rider. In a long, five-game match, Penn narrowly defeated an equally strong Towson team. The Rutgers match was a difficult one, as Penn lost in three straight games, but Rider was an easy victory. With a 2-1 record, Penn narrowly was declared the winner of the tournament. "This tournament will be just as hard as last year," Penn junior co-captain Megan McKay said. Even though Penn has played Drexel five times this season in scrimmages, "playing in a real match that counts is much different," said Penn coach Margaret Feeney. With Meek switching to the middle, she will now line up opposite her sister, a junior with the Dragons. With the Meek family flying in from California, a major family rivalry will develop, guaranteeing an exciting match. The Navy match will be very tough. Always in fantastic physical shape, the Midshipmen have already played 14 matches this season. Navy has a 6-8 record, including losing its last four matches without winning one game. With 11 more games under Navy's belt, Penn will have to play well to win. Penn will also have to defeat a 6-2 New Hampshire team. New Hampshire has a tough freshman from Chicago which will surely give Penn some trouble. Feeney has a very positive attitude, though, as does the rest of the team, which will hopefully lead to success. The Quaker Classic will be a tough three days of competition at the Palestra, hopefully ending with Penn repeating as champions.