Volleyball looks for first Ivy League win

With the Ivy League championships only two weeks away, the Penn volleyball team is looking to kill two birds with one stone this weekend. Wins against Cornell and Columbia would not only end the Quakers' recent losing streak, but also give them the momentum they need to have an impact at the championships. Penn (5-12, 0-5 Ivy League) opens the weekend tonight at 7 p.m. at the Palestra versus Cornell (6-14, 1-4). Cornell got its lone Ivy League win last weekend by beating Columbia 3-0, ending an eight game losing streak. Despite the victory, the Big Red's season took a turn for worse last Thursday when head coach Sue Medley resigned for "personal reasons," leaving Cornell with Christie Jackson as the interim head coach. "They have to adjust to the change of coaching styles mid-season," Penn coach Kerry Major said. "We hope to use that to our advantage." Nevertheless, Cornell comes in with some noteworthy weapons. One of the Big Red's best players is sophomore middle blocker Robin Moore, who made the honor roll for Ivy League Player of the Week last week. She recorded a match-leading 11 kills against Columbia. Moreover, she made only two errors in 15 attempts, giving her an impressive hitting percentage of .600. Cornell senior outside hitter Laura Snow contributed to Cornell's dominance with nine kills, while only making one error. Overall the Big Red had a hitting percentage of .318 and 10 service aces versus Columbia. Columbia's situation parallels Penn's. Columbia (5-14, 0-5) enters the Palestra Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. with the likely prospect of being winless in the Ivy League, since it would be a minor miracle if the Lions beat Princeton tonight. As it is Penn's final home game of the season and the seniors' final home game of their careers, Major will be starting all of the seniors. Despite the Lions' poor season, they will be as hungry as Penn is for an Ivy League win heading into the championship. However, unlike Columbia, Penn should win this weekend, especially considering its solid showing against Villanova last Tuesday. The Quakers played smarter volleyball and took advantage of the absence of Villanova's top player. "I hope we turned a corner," Major said. "I wish we got a win for our efforts. If we play as hard as we did Tuesday, we'll do well." Penn needs its efforts from the Villanova game to carry over. With only two days of practice between games, Major held a short physical practice Wednesday and a longer practice yesterday focusing on the mental aspects of the game. "[Our] key to success is three things -- serving tough, passing well and running our offense," Penn senior middle blocker Karen Lewis said. "With even one of them breaking down, it's hard to win, so we must maintain all three." Playing their game -- and not their opponent's game -- will be pivotal for the Quakers. Penn's talent level is superior to those of Cornell and Columbia, but the Quakers have shown mental lapses in previous Ivy League matches. "I know they can do it, but it doesn't matter what I believe," Major said. "It's what they believe." As usual, Major is looking for a big game from her middle blockers. She also is hoping for the outside hitters to "play the way I know they can." The beauty of Ivy League volleyball is that it all comes down to the Ivy League tournament. In 1990, the last time the Red and Blue won the Ivy League, Penn finished below .500 but still won the tournament. Although Penn has struggled against the Ancient Eight this season, a weekend sweep of Cornell and Columbia could give the Quakers the needed confidence for another magical 1990 run.