The Penn volleyball team went 2-1 this weekend at the Fairfield Inn Jefferson Cup Tournament on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottes-ville.
Considering that the other schools had three more weeks of practice, the Quakers' record was quite an accomplishment. The Red and Blue began the tournament by beating Duquesne, 3-1 and Radford, 3-0 on Friday, before falling, 3-2 to the host Cavaliers on Saturday.
Despite the loss to end the tournament, Penn returned home all smiles.
"We came away from this tournament not with disappointment but with confidence," Penn head coach Kerry Major Carr said.
Junior Cara Thomason and freshman Lynda Zhang were both named to the All-Tournament team. Thomason had 46 kills and five blocks, while Zhang had 120 assists and 16 kills.
"I'm really honored," Zhang said, saying that she did not expect to be named to the team.
"Coming in, [as a freshman], I didn't really think I would make contributions, but it's awesome."
Carr showered her freshmen with accolades, and showed her confidence by having three freshmen on the court at the same time at various points in the tournament.
She added that the Quakers' strengths over the weekend were serving and their defense. Carr said that her team's timing needs to improve on offense with all the new faces there, but she feels that that will come naturally over the next few weeks.
"It's definitely a weakness that can be improved over time," Carr said.
The Quakers only dropped game three to the Dukes (3-3) in the opening match, soundly beating a team that Carr feels is slightly above Penn's level. After a close call in game one against the Highlanders (2-4), the Red and Blue went on to win the next two games comfortably, 30-18 and 30-25.
The real test came against Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia (7-1), which the Quakers pushed to the limit. Penn took games one and three, and had a chance to win the match twice in game four, losing 30-27, before losing game five and the match, 15-9.
"It was a great surprise to not only stay with them but play at their level," Carr said of the Cavaliers.
She added that no Ivy League team is supposed to beat a top three ACC team, so to beat them in two games "was great."
Much of the Quakers' success can be attributed to their mentality coming out of preseason practice. They had a positive attitude, and that confidence has led to victory.
"I really thought going in before we played a match that we were going to have a successful tournament," Thomason said, adding that from the first moment she stepped on the court she felt confident.
Next weekend the Red and Blue face even tougher competition when they travel to California with the football team to face Oregon State, San Diego and Nevada in the University of San Diego Tournament.
However, the Quakers are not afraid of facing top schools.
"I know our team will only get better," Thomason said.
"Our practices are going to be able to be that much more focused," she said, referring to the confidence already built this weekend.
That mindset may be behind the Penn Athletic Department as well, with two successful squads on the West Coast trip.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.