Volleyball splits with Georgetown and Navy in Washington

On the volleyball court, timing is important when an outside hitter goes for a kill, or a middle blocker jumps for a block. Friday and Saturday, Penn (2-5) proved that timely play is also important, as the Quakers used better timing on the court to play their best volleyball of the season, compiling a 1-1 record at the Georgetown Invitational. Penn opened its weekend against Georgetown (11-3), who hosted the three-team tournament. Ranked third in the East, Georgetown was Penn's toughest opponent to date. "They're so good because they have great outside hitters," Penn coach Kerry Major said. The Hoyas were led by Kiran Gill, who amassed 10 kills against the Quakers in Georgetown's 15-3, 17-15, 15-3 win. "Even though we couldn't stop her, we kept [the ball] away from her," Major said. Having already lost the first game 15-3, the Quakers showed their maturity in game two. Down 12-2, Penn pushed the Hoyas to the limit but eventually succumbed 17-15. "I think [our good play] was because of our loss on Tuesday," senior Sue Sabatino said, alluding to Penn's 3-1 loss to Loyola. "We became very focused in practice." Sabatino had four blocks against the Hoyas. Junior Kristel Weaver led the Red and Blue with five kills, and junior Kristen Stine had five digs to help on defense. Despite their resilient play against Georgetown, the best was yet to come for Penn. Saturday, the Quakers went up against Navy (8-6). Earlier in the season, Navy defeated Loyola 3-2 -- the same Loyola team that beat Penn 3-1 last Tuesday. Keeping this in mind, Penn knew Navy was going to be another tough opponent. Penn responded with their best performance of the season. They cut out many mental errors and consistently kept the ball in the court en route to a 15-5, 15-8, 17-15 win. The highlight of the Navy match came in the third game. The score was tied 14-14 and Major was out of timeouts and substitutions, and therefore had no mechanism to stop the flow of play. Unlike previous matches, Penn responded to the Midshipmen's adjustments and held on to win 17-15. "Navy played great," Major said. "Usually when teams get on late we get tired and fold." Sabatino had another big day for Penn. She led the team with 15 kills, increasing her season total to 46, and she also contributed five digs. "She got up early on her hits," Major said. "We've increased her timing. It's hard for a senior to adjust, but she did." Major also noted that Sabatino did a better job blocking by penetrating over the net. "It's just different because you feel like a freshman all over again trying to adjust to a new coach," Sabatino said in reference to her adjustment period. Sabatino wasn't the Quakers' only star Saturday. Freshmen Jodie Antypas and Stephanie Horan were named to the All-Tournament team for their outstanding play. Antypas continued to quarterback Penn's attack by accumulating 56 of Penn's 63 sets over the two-day tournament. Horan helped Penn by recording 10 blocks and seven digs in the two games. "It's a really big honor," Horan said. "It's not something you think about getting when playing, but when you get honored it's very rewarding." Penn collectively played its best weekend of volleyball this season. They showed toughness against Georgetown and subsequently beat Navy by playing their most consistent game of the season. With Ivy League competition starting next week, the timing couldn't have been better.