In the final home matches of their career, the seniors had a bittersweet weekend with a gutty win and a disappointing loss.
The Penn volleyball team faced two of its Ivy foes, beating Brown 3-2 in a thrilling five game match but losing to Yale 3-0 the next day in a sweep.
The Quakers (10-12, 5-6 Ivy) jumped out of the gates to start their match against Brown (8-16, 4-8) with a loud and rowdy cheering section behind them.
"The crowd here was just a huge factor for us," coach Kerry Carr said of the night's attendance, bolstered by participants in the Line. "I wish we had this crowd out every time; it definitely gave us a home court advantage."
Co-captain Liz Hurst agreed.
"I know it made a difference to have them behind us and to have them cheering and pushing us" Hurst said. "Everybody's feeding off the energy, it's fantastic."
Led by Laura Black's enthusiasm and strong play, Penn dominated the first two games. Black would finish with a double-double (15 kills, 16 digs). Black was consistent all night and showed why she's the team leader in kills with 229 this season.
Anticipating a blowout, the crowd was out of it and so was the Red and Blue, losing the third and fourth games to force a decisive fifth.
Hurst felt her team did not feel a sense of urgency to close out the game.
"If we're up two games we need to put pressure on ourselves instead of waiting for the other team to put pressure on us," she said.
With its fourth straight five-game match, Penn rose to the occasion and closed out the Bears. Having lost last time to Brown in five games, victory was particularly sweet.
Hurst matched her season-high with 29 digs and junior Anna Shlimak (14), sophomore Kathryn Turner (14) and freshman Natalie Drucker (10) each finished with double digit kills.
On Saturday afternoon in their last home game, the Quakers faced Yale (14-7, 9-3).
Despite every game being close, the Quakers could not win one.
"It was just the last 10 points of every game, just pushing through to the end," senior Meredith Damore said. "We were so close but we couldn't quite do it and that was really the difference."
In the second game, with the Quakers mounting a comeback, the referee made a questionable call that went Yale's way with the score tied at 24. On a serve by Yale's Alexis Crusey, the official called Hurst for touching the ball as it sailed out. Hurst and her team denied touching it, but the call stood. Penn would go on to lose the next four points and ultimately the game.
Before their home match, seniors Hurst and Damore were honored for their four-year commitments to the volleyball team. Both were sad to say goodbye, but were proud of their accomplishments, including an Ivy League title in 2003.
"It's definitely sad that I'll never get to play in the Palestra again, but I'm just trying to keep it in perspective," Hurst said.
"It was bittersweet, it's been a long four years, but it's been my life and my family," Damore said. "It's sad to know that that's my last time I'll be playing in the Palestra."
