Although the Penn volleyball team lost all three games at the Comfort Suites Invitational last weekend, it didn't come away empty-handed. After returning from Charlotte, N.C., the Quakers now have a better idea of what they need to do to succeed.
They will be put to the test again when they travel to Fullerton, Calif., tomorrow to participate in the three-game Hawthorne Suites Fullerton Classic.
After a strong but unsuccessful first set of matches down in North Carolina, the next two included many breakdowns.
"We didn't play our best," head coach Kerry Carr said. "We broke down in a couple of defensive areas so we couldn't keep the ball going as much as we needed to to beat those other teams."
Despite the end results, there was still something to take away and use as they move forward to the Fullerton tournament.
"It was a huge learning experience for us," Carr said. "We came in at a disadvantage, obviously, not having a month of practice and eight matches under our belt like the other teams we played."
The next tournament finds them in a similar situation.
The Red and Blue will face San Diego State (4-5), Cal State Fullerton (9-1) and Lipscomb (3-7). While Penn has only played three games thus far, the other three teams are averaging 10.
"There is really nothing that can counter that game-time experience," Carr said. "The only thing I can say is you know the first weekend, we can use that as an excuse. But the second tournament, no more."
No excuses. After evaluating their performances, the Quakers established that there is no excuse not to play at their best. The big focus, they believe, has to be mental toughness.
So what has the team done to prepare for this weekend?
"We worked on a lot of mental toughness issues," Carr said.
Of course they also boosted the practice level.
"At this point in the season, we are like striving to do twice as much in practice as other teams," Carr explained.
Reviewing the competition, Fullerton appears to be the team to beat given that they have only lost one game this season. San Diego State has not done nearly as well, but could reach the .500 mark with one more win.
But if there is any team that could represent the Quakers' first win, 3-7 Lipscomb might just be it.
