Volleyball cruises into Ivies

Although Penn went 2-1 at Army, it is playing well. The volleyball season has been rough for the Quakers, but this weekend, they may have found what they need to do well in the Ivy League championship this coming weekend -- good team play. This past weekend, the Quakers played in the Army Invitational. After having played well recently, going 3-1 in its last four contests, Penn entered the tournament with optimism. Penn (9-12, 2-5 Ivy League) has had a mediocre season. But with the Ivy League championships rapidly approaching, the Quakers knew it was time for them to get serious. The Red and Blue played with a tremendous enthusiasm against all three opponents they faced at West Point, N.Y., starting with a blowout of Marist, which Penn swept, 3-0. Saturday afternoon, the Quakers demonstrated their resilience. In their early game against dominant Central Florida (24-1), they were defeated in four games, 1-3. Immediately following that match, however, Penn defeated Army (10-22) in an intense contest by a score of 3-1 (15-13, 8-15, 15-7, 15-10). "We played well offensively, as well as defensively," Penn coach Margaret Feeney said. "That was a big step forward for us." While Penn's two victories were not overly challenging, their loss to Central Florida (despite the match score) was not so terrible. According to Feeney, the Quakers played well against the Knights, who have the second-longest winning streak in the country. "I felt really good that we played with them," Feeney said. "It really brought our level of play up." This round-robin tournament did not determine any overall winner. However, the Quakers did get a chance to put a few wins on the board before Ivies, as well as check out two possible Ancient Eight opponents: Columbia (5-21, 0-7) and Yale (16-11, 4-3). The Big Red, not one of the stronger Ivy teams, defeated Army and Marist and lost to Central Florida. The Elis, who were also successful this weekend, amassed a 2-1 record (with their only defeat against Central Florida). While all three Ivy League schools in the tournament were successful at West Point, Quakers players and coaches feel that Penn volleyball is on the rise. "I feel real confident about the team's chances at Ivies," Feeney said. "We've gained a lot of confidence and played better as a team. The team feels really good about themselves." "I think we've really come together," Penn junior middle blocker Sue Sabatino said. "And we're focused on winning. We're able to pull together as a team." This excitement and emotion is currently surrounding the entire volleyball team. They have played well at times during the season, but now they feel that they are at their best. "I am really excited for Ivies and think that we have a really good chance of playing well," said Sabatino. "Especially with the step-up in our level of play." If the Quakers can keep this momentum going into the Ivy championships (November 14-16 in New Haven, Conn.), they will be a tough opponent. Their first round match will be against Dartmouth, a team they will be seeking revenge against for an earlier loss. As for now, the Quakers can celebrate their success this weekend and look forward to what awaits in the coming week. It's going to be a long road ahead, even though [the Ivies] all take place over one short weekend. "It was pretty much a team effort all weekend long," Feeney said. "That's what we're going to need -- everyone doing their part."