Volleyball beats Lehigh in tune-up to Ivy Tournament

Several Quakers seniors played in their final home game, with only the Ivy League Tournament left in their careers. It has been a long season for the Penn volleyball team. With the Ivy League Tournament less than two weeks away, the Quakers still need to work out a few problems and build up their confidence. With a 3-1 win over Lehigh last night in its last home appearance of the season, Penn got some of the confidence it sorely needs. The Quakers (8-11) jumped out to a quick lead in the first game before eventually winning 15-8. "We started out really quickly, but then we hit a lull," said Angie Whittenburg, who finished the match with 21 digs. "We didn't let them get many points, but we were stuck on 14 for a while." The second game began with a powerful kill by middle blocker Diana Meek, which put the Quakers up 1-0. That, however, was the end of Penn's control of the game. Lehigh (13-11) took a 6-2 lead before ending the game with a 15-8 victory. With the score tied at one game apiece, game three was a battle with both teams trading points and possession of the ball. Penn finally pulled ahead at the end to regain the match lead with a 17-15 win. "We really had to work in the third game to pull that out," Quakers coach Margaret Feeney said. "That 'never say die' attitude is a great quality to take into a championship tournament." Needing one more victory to take the match, the Red and Blue dominated the Engineers in the fourth game. With a 15-6 win in the fourth and final game, the Quakers ended their 1997 home season with their fifth victory at the Palestra this season. This match against Lehigh was not only Penn's last home game of the season, but it was also the last time setter Heather Tillett and outside hitter Jessica Luftman would play in the Palestra. Both seniors have played pivotal roles on this struggling team. Luftman currently stands fourth in the Ivies with 230 digs, and Tillett is sixth in the league in assists. "I'm real happy that the seniors were able to culminate their careers with a win in the Palestra," said Feeney, who acknowledged the leadership and dedication of both players. "To be able to see their work pay off in their final match is a nice reward for them." Feeney also cited the work ethic displayed by Tillett and Luftman throughout this frustrating season. Despite their losing record and problems with hitting and defense, the Quakers still have a chance to win the Ivy title. Penn will play in the Army Invitational this weekend, which will give it one final chance to work out problems before the Ivies. "I think the Lehigh win will give us confidence going into this weekend," said Karen Lewis, who had a .316 hitting percentage for the match. "We have three more matches to prepare for the Ivies." The Quakers have been trying to work out many of the same problems all year. If they cannot do it this weekend, they might not go very far into the Ivy League Tournament.