Penn gives perfect P'ton a game

In a thriller of a match on Saturday night at the Palestra, the Penn volleyball team lost its Ivy League opener to Princeton in four games.

The Tigers (10-0, 1-0 Ivy) had already grabbed a 17-11 lead in an electrifying first game when coach Kerry Carr was forced to call a timeout.

"I told them that we were fine; we just need to settle down," Carr said. "We were really tight. It was just nerves, so I basically calmed them down and told them 'we're still in this.'"

The Quakers (4-7, 0-1) responded by making a huge comeback, led by junior Anna Shlimak's strong serving performance and some strong blocks by her teammates - Penn would eventually finish the night with 27 blocks.

Facing two game points in the first game, Penn came up with big plays each time, eventually knotting the game at 30. After two attack errors by Princeton's Sheena Donohue, Penn emerged victorious after a hard-fought first game.

"It was so fantastic," captain Liz Hurst said. "I wish we hadn't gotten that far behind, but I really think it shows what a good team we are that we could come back."

But Princeton returned strong and dominated the next two games, winning them both by margins of at least 13 points.

In the fourth game, the Quakers stormed back from a 10-17 deficit to tie the score at 17. After another tie at 29-29, Penn eventually lost the heartbreaking fourth game.

Laura Black led Penn's attack on Saturday night, finishing with 14 kills and seven block assists.

Although the Quakers stayed competitive and showed potential, they were beaten by a more consistent and cohesive team with very strong hitters.

It seemed that Penn's biggest problem was its unforced errors. Where Princeton limited its errors and played consistently, the Quakers struggled to maintain a high level of play, especially in the two middle games. The Quakers had four more attack errors, five more service errors and six more serve-receive errors than Princeton.

"I think we really played hard this last game, but we just need to keep at that level and grow from this loss," freshman Elizabeth Semmens said.

Junior and setter Linda Zhang contributed a strong performance, getting some improbable digs and making some smart tips despite playing on a recently injured knee.

"We're still on the up-swing," Hurst said. "Even with the loss, I'm excited for us to play more."

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