Does history repeat itself?
The Penn women's tennis team is confident that it doesn't.
As the Quakers prepare for their annual matchups with non-conference foes Seton Hall and Penn State, they believe that the scores from this weekend will differ from last year's results against the very same opponents.
Against the Pirates, the No. 31 Quakers are looking to improve upon last season's 6-1 thrashing with a shutout tomorrow.
After finishing at the bottom of the Big East last season, Seton Hall once again brings a less-than-stellar squad to Levy Pavilion.
Though the Pirates currently stand at 1-1, their record is misleading.
While its lone victory came against Appalachian State -- who is unranked -- Seton Hall was blanked by No. 75 Virginia Tech.
Penn would like to match the Hokies' effort.
"After a 7-0 win against Army we have a good feeling about ourselves," Penn sophomore Rachel Shweky said. "We're going to go into every match looking to sweep."
Unlike the upcoming Seton Hall match, the verdict of the matchup with No. 52 Penn State is not quite as predictable.
Last year, the Nittany Lions handed the Ivy champs a pair of setbacks.
In addition to losing, 5-2, to Penn State in a head-to-head matchup, then-Penn No.1 Sanela Kunovac also had her championship dreams dashed at the Princeton Invitational by PSU's Pilar Montgomery.
But this season, the Quakers have an entirely new set of circumstances on their hands.
Unlike last year's team matchup held at Penn State's Sarni Center, Penn will take on the Nittany Lions in Philly -- a key edge according to the Quakers.
"I think that playing at home is a big advantage because we have our fans support," Kunovac said.
Another major difference is that Penn State is coming off 12 days of rest.
To the casual fan it appears as if the Nittany Lions will benefit from playing on fresh legs.
Yet, many of the Quakers feel that PSU's layoff gives Penn the upperhand.
"I think that playing Seton Hall will get us into a groove and make us sharper for Penn State," Kunovac said.
The team's goals will be significantly more difficult to achieve if Alice Pirsu, Penn's No. 1, decides to sit out the next few matches.
Pirsu did not play the last match against Army because of a sore right elbow. However, she is expected to play this weekend.
Pirsu's presence in the lineup will greatly facilitate one of Penn's overriding goals for the weekend -- to distinguish themselves from Penn State.
"Every Penn student has to deal with the confusion between us and Penn State," Shweky said. "This match is a chance for us to stand out."
Additionally, Penn will duel with the Nittany Lions for the right to be called the best team in Pennsylvania.
No small matter to the historically-overlooked Quakers.
"This game basically determines who has state bragging rights," Kunovac said. "And we want that."
