Volleyball sweeps in three to end five-game skid

Winning always feels good, but when a win breaks a losing streak, that victory tastes especially sweet. The Penn volleyball team knows this feeling. After losing all five of its last games in straight sets, the Quakers were due for a win. Not only did Penn get that win last night against La Salle at the Palestra, but the team regained a confidence it will need in the next few weeks before the Ivy League tournament. "We're very excited about the win," said Penn's Megan McKay, who finished with four service aces. "It's definitely a confidence booster." Not only had Penn lost each of the last five matches, but they had not won a single game in almost three weeks. That changed as Penn shut out La Salle in straight games and never relinquished the lead in any of the three. Against the Explorers, the Quakers (6-10) played with an aggression that had been absent from their play in recent weeks. In the first game, the Red and Blue jumped out to an 11-1 lead. After allowing La Salle (9-11) to earn some points, the Quakers eventually put them away, 15-10. Statistically, this game was excellent for the Quakers. They completed the game with 19 kills and a high hitting percentage (.340). The second game was very similar to the first as the Quakers took a 12-4 lead. After allowing La Salle to creep back into the game, the Quakers got back on track and won, 15-11, on a powerful kill by middle blocker Sue Sabatino, who hit at a .355 percentage for the match. This confidence carried over into the third game as Penn totally dominated, winning the game, 15-6, and earning its first victory since October 3 at Brown. Quakers coach Margaret Feeney described the match as a must-win, saying, "After losing two disappointing conference matches this past weekend, we feel like we are starting a new season. We are 1-0 in our rebirth." One area the Quakers have had difficulty with in the past has been unforced errors. Against the Explorers, Penn finished with only 14 hitting errors. In fact, last night's match may have been the best statistical game for the Quakers this season, as they were able to improve their hitting, finishing with a .246 percentage. "We hit .246 and we're going to win," Feeney said. "We've just been making too many errors, and tonight we only had 14 hitting errors. That attributes to winning." The Quakers now have a long break before resuming their schedule against Cornell in eight days. As the Ivy League tournament approaches, Penn must continue to play with the focus it showed against the Explorers. Sabatino acknowledged the importance of the La Salle win, but realized that Penn still has a lot of work before the Ivy tournament. "It is just a beginning," she said. "It definitely helped, but it is just the start of where we need to be."

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