Volleyball faces No. 1 G'Town

The city of Washington was founded on a stagnant swamp in the late 18th century, and after even a cursory glance at President Clinton's semen-stained reputation, most Americans would say little has changed since. Maybe it's not the Clinton administration's fault, but it seems like just about everything in Washington is affected by some kind of political manipulation, even women's collegiate volleyball. "Its all politics," said Penn volleyball coach Kerry Major in reference to the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll that ranked Georgetown first in the mid-east region. "They shouldn't be ranked that high. But they beat Loyola 3-0 so we definitely have our hands full this weekend," Major said. Penn (1-4) will face the host Hoyas (10-3) and Navy (7-5) at the Georgetown Tournament this weekend in Washington, D.C. After Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to Loyola, the Quakers have to be anxious to get back onto the court. The main issue for the relatively young Quakers is that they have not reacted when opponents change their strategy in the middle of a match. "We were really consistent against Loyola and that was the problem," said Major. "We hit and received the ball equally well in all four games [against Loyola] but we just didn't adjust when they changed their attack." Against Georgetown tomorrow afternoon, the Red and Blue face their toughest competition to date and will have to adjust quicker than ever to changing attacks. "We need to increase communication," senior defensive specialist Megan McKay said. "We have to point out who's hitting the ball on the other side and on scramble plays, we need to call who's taking the next ball." Another question mark, as Major mentioned earlier, is if the freshmen will respond positively to the pressure of playing top-level competition. Freshman Stephanie Horan erased any questions of intimidation when she smashed the Quakers to victory in the first game against Loyola on Tuesday, but the team faltered and lost the match. And the bar will certainly be higher this weekend. "This weekend is going to be really tough," Horan said. "I always try to help the team by being vocal on court and from the sidelines because we always need to communicate. I am mainly a hitter when I go in, but I think it's just as important to pay attention to what happens when I am out to catch the little changes. "In college, the players don't react as quickly because they pay attention and are in the right place to begin with." The Quakers have had success against the Midshipmen the past four years the two teams have met. In 1996, the Quakers dispatched Navy 3-0, but at last year's Quaker Classic, the contest was much more even. The Quakers won 15-17, 15-11, 11-15, 15-3, 15-6 and woke up only after finding themselves down 2-1. "We have not lost to Navy since I have played here," McKay said. "But we always are very evenly matched with them. Its not like it's a guaranteed win." Win or not, the Quakers can only gain experience this weekend that will be needed if they are to make a serious run for the Ivy League title in November. Penn's first league match is still two weeks away. "I am a little clearer about my starters but I do change outside hitters from game to game to get everyone in," Major said. "And since we have four middle-blockers, two experienced and two newcomers, I shuffle a lot at that spot, too." Major will get to look at a much better Georgetown team this weekend than the one she coached six years ago. And if her team beats the Hoyas, while it may not matter in the larger scheme of political tampering, it will be grounds for the AVCA to rethink their rankings.