For the first time in three opportunities, the Penn volleyball team won a game in the NCAA Tournament. But the Quakers' stated goal of winning an NCAA Tournament match remains unaccomplished.
After winning game one, Penn fell to Pittsburgh, 28-30, 30-16, 30-18, 30-26, at State College, Pa. In what was the final collegiate game for seniors Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Heather Janssen, Meghan Schloat and Lauren Carter, the Quakers were defeated by a Panthers team that played almost mistake-free volleyball after the first game.
"We came out strong, and mentally we were confident we could win," Kwak-Hefferan said. "But after the first game we started making unforced errors. They didn't, and that was the difference in the game."
Game one was a back-and-forth affair that was up for grabs at 29-28 until Kwak-Hefferan delivered a kill that gave Penn its first-ever game in the NCAA Tournament in 10 attempts. The Quakers played one of their best games all season, and it showed in their .340 attack percentage. But Penn was unable to maintain that pace for the rest of the match.
"In game one, we played a near perfect game," Penn coach Kerry Major Carr said. "But from then on, they made less mistakes than we did. They got on a run, were very steady, and we lost confidence a little bit."
Though they didn't make many mistakes themselves, the Quakers were unable to break Pitt's blocks, which were as tall as any they faced all season. This forced the Red and Blue to try to hit more precise shots than they were accustomed.
"We had a lot more hitting errors than normal," sophomore Cara Thomason said. "We're usually the team that doesn't make mistakes, but [against Pitt] it worked the other way around."
In games two and three the Quakers' attack percentages fell to .038 and .064 as the Panthers (26-6) rolled to easy victories. But Penn was not about to go away quietly.
"There was a big difference from the past two years," Kwak-Hefferan said. "Two years ago against UCLA, we were thrilled to be there. This year we came in with the goal of winning and I did not want the match to end."
A rejuvenated Quakers squad nearly pulled out game four. Down 24-17, Penn got two kills apiece from Thomason and Kwak-Hefferan to pull to within 28-26. But a service error by freshman Liz Hurst brought it to match point, and a kill by Pitt's Wendy Hatlestad, her 29th kill of the match, sent the Panthers into the second round and gave the Quakers their third straight first-round tournament loss.
Afterward, Kwak-Hefferan admitted that she would be upset by the loss for a long time. But she spoke enthusiastically about Penn's future without the senior class.
"There are so many committed girls on this team," Kwak-Hefferan said. "I'd like to think we'd be missed, but the team has the talent to continue what our class started."
Thomason, who will be asked to step into a leadership role next season, has similar expectations.
"The seniors are all important to the team, but the players who are staying behind are looking to be successful," Thomason said. "We'll need to solidify our offense and execute it more consistently, but if the people on this team can maintain their level of play we should be fine."
