Penn set for pair on weekend

After two disappointing losses in its opening weekend, the No. 54 Penn women's tennis team is looking to rebound tonight when it takes on No. 73 Penn State. Neither Penn nor the Nittany Lions have won a match yet this season. The Quakers fell to Duke and Vanderbilt last weekend, while the Lions have lost to Ohio State, Washington State and Alabama. The Nittany Lions' last loss was a 7-0 shut out against No. 38 Alabama. The Quakers struggled similarly in their last two matches, though team leader Alice Pirsu was able to score the Quakers' only team point of the season against Duke's No. 15 Amanda Johnson in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. The Quakers faced their second test of the season the very next day but were unable to bounce back as they were shut out by No. 8 Vanderbilt. "We all think that we're ready for tomorrow," co-captain Pirsu said. "We're just expecting to do our best and hopefully win." Even though there is a disparity in the the rankings, the Quakers are still expecting to work hard to earn a win tonight. The Red and Blue have been focusing on conditioning, which they cited as one of their weaknesses in their opening matches. "We've been doing a lot of conditioning -- more than usual," Pirsu said. "That's a very important part of the game. I think we've all improved [since last match] and we're better prepared physically for longer matches and longer weekends. We just want to be able to keep up and play our best." Last season, the Quakers demolished the Nittany Lions, 6-1. Then-freshman Shelah Chao was the only Penn athlete to lose in that match, doing so to Leigh Ann Merryman at No. 5. It is likely that Chao will face Merryman again, as both are currently playing at No. 2 on their respective ladders. Chao, who returns this season with a year's worth of experience under her belt, is coming off a solid fall season, including a strong showing at the William and Mary Tribe Invitational, advancing to a final round. Chao will be looking to avenge last year's loss, while the rest of the Quakers work to contribute to their first team win of the spring season. Additionally, Penn will rely on younger players, including freshman Caroline Stanislawski, to provide the points at the bottom of the ladder. "It takes them some time to adjust," Pirsu said of the freshmen. "But they're doing pretty well. They've integrated into the team, and they've already helped us a lot. I think they're going to bring a lot to the team." Stanislawski, who played at No. 6 against Duke and Vanderbilt, lost both matches but performed well and held her own against Duke's Prim Siripipat, losing by a slim 7-5 margin in the first of two sets. Following their match against Penn State, the Quakers will travel to Charlottesville to play No. 32 Virginia. In spite of UVA's higher ranking, the Quakers are hoping for a repeat of last year's 4-3 win over the Cavaliers. "As a team, we want to pull together," Pirsu said. "Ultimately, we want to bring points to the final score. Individually, we each have our own goals. But we're a team, and our goal is to work well and support each other."

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