The Penn volleyball team knew that it would have to take its game to a higher level to beat Temple. The Quakers did that, but the effort still wasn't enough to prevail.
The Owls, led by the dynamic duo of Yamit Haba and Xu Yun, defeated the Quakers, 30-25, 30-28, 30-24 at McGonigle Hall last night.
All three games were close, and Penn received stellar games from Lynzy Caton (.357 attack percentage) and Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan (10 kills, 14 digs). However, despite leading at some point in every game, the Quakers couldn't overcome Temple's size and strength.
Despite the loss, Penn's coach focused on the bright spots.
"Our offense was quicker than theirs," Penn coach Kerry Major Carr said. "We had a lot of blocks. We know we can block and play with this type of team."
The Owls (17-7) are the defending Atlantic-10 champions and made it to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament last year. Carr scheduled the match in order to prepare the Quakers (17-6, 10-1 Ivy) for the stiffer competition they will face if they qualify for postseason play.
In this respect, the game served its purpose.
"This game actually helped our confidence," Kwak-Hefferan said. "Everybody feels that we should have won all three of those games. We're frustrated at our mistakes that caused us to lose. But we definitely play at the same level as them."
The Quakers reversed a recent disturbing trend by starting the game off with intensity and aggressiveness. Kills by Caton and Heather Janssen led the Quakers to a 14-10 lead in game one. But the Owls fought back to tie the game at 22, and then went on a 5-0 run to put the game out of reach.
It was Penn's inability to stop Temple's runs that ultimately cost them the match. Four times during the match the Owls ran off five or more straight points.
"There were some breakdowns on our part," Kwak-Hefferan said. We would lose focus for a couple points and then get it back together. But a couple points is all it takes."
Carr was disappointed that the team didn't make quick enough adjustments during Temple's runs, but was encouraged by the Quakers' improvement throughout the game.
Six straight points gave the Owls a 10-6 advantage in game two. But Penn was undaunted by playing a highly-ranked team on the road, and rallied back to within one point at 22-21, forcing Temple to call a timeout.
Although they would go on to lose, the Quakers felt good about their perseverance.
"We came out intense, and then we had a little trouble, but we didn't let up for 90 points," Kwak-Hefferan said.
Penn capitalized on serve errors by the Owls to take a 17-13 lead in the third game. But Temple, sparked by an energetic crowd and the return of Haba from the bench, closed with a 17-7 run to end the match.
Despite the loss, the Quakers plan to enter the pivotal last three games -- all against Ivy League foes Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton -- of the regular season playing their best volleyball of the season.
"We were playing at a higher level tonight," Carr said. "We used the adjustments we made in practice well. Those [adjustments] will surprise some people in the league. And hopefully we'll be getting out on top and staying on top."
