In the midst of a fight for its third straight Ivy League title, the Penn volleyball team has once again proven that it is quantity, not just quality, that counts.
The Quakers face league foes Dartmouth (3-9, 9-14 Ivy) and Harvard (8-14, 7-5) this weekend at the Palestra, hoping to take two more steps towards qualifying for the postseason. Given Penn's talent and tactics, winning these games will take great effort from the team -- not just one star player.
Penn (17-6, 10-1) lacks a dominant offensive performer. but more than makes up for it with a balanced lineup featuring nine players that get significant minutes.
"The depth of our team has been amazing," Penn coach Kerry Major Carr said. "Last week in practice we had six people out; a normal team wouldn't be able to run a practice. But we were. Every single person on our [junior varsity] team can play any spot on varsity."
The Quakers could conceivably clinch the Ivy League Championship this weekend if they win both games and Princeton (15-6, 8-2) loses one. If not, Penn will host the Tigers on Wednesday with the league title at stake.
This time of year, most coaches begin to pare down the number of players in their rotation. The Penn coaching staff has a different philosophy.
"There are teams that do look to solidify that starting six," Penn assistant coach Orlin Jespersen said. "We take advantage of our depth and flexibility and the fact that we can switch between different players and different systems."
Carr put in two offenses at the beginning of the season, the "three-middle" and the "five-one." Each offense has its own starting lineup.
The coaches had expected to pick one of the two offenses at some point this season under the assumption that one scheme would prove more effective. But with both offenses working well all year, there was no need to pick one over the other.
The Quakers also have more quality depth throughout their lineup than any other team in the league.
"We can go three deep at each position and still be comfortable," Jespersen said. "There's not a lot of teams that can do that."
This bevy of good players also ensures better practices, as the coaches can field two talented teams and increase the level of competition within the team.
"Because we have such a deep team, during practices we're very competitive," senior Lauren Carter said. "Everybody pushes each other. And we know that at any given point in the game, [coach Carr] can throw in another player and they'll get the job done."
Tomorrow, Penn will face a Harvard team that stands in sharp contrast to their own. The Crimson's best player, junior middle hitter Kaego Ogbechie, is out for the season with patella tendonitis. How a thinner team like Harvard responds to the challenge remains to be seen.
The Quakers' emphasis on depth makes them think that no matter who comes out of the game, they won't miss a beat.
