W. Tennis: Ailing Quakers must contend with Herd

Taming a Thundering Herd from West Virginia.

That is the task that Penn women's tennis team will face when Marshall rolls into West Philadelphia later today for a match that promises to excite and entertain.

The Herd will arrive at Penn boasting a 4-2 overall record and a roster that includes one of the most talented singles players in the country, 18th-ranked Kellie Schmitt.

Schmitt, a sophomore who is undefeated in singles play this year, is a main focus as the No. 37 Red and Blue (2-0) enter today's match. A Pittsburgh native, she leads a team that has risen to 59th in the recent polls.

Penn coach Mike Dowd knows that the Quakers will have their hands full today.

"They're very well-coached," he said of the Herd. "They have always had very good doubles teams. They have a very tough schedule and they have seen very good competition. It is going to be a very tough match."

Dowd also had praise for Schmitt.

"She's a very experienced college player," he said. "She's going to be a tough player to beat."

Both the Herd and the Quakers come into today's match with considerable momentum. Marshall is coming off dual victories over Youngstown State and Davidson last Sunday, while Penn is fresh off a 6-1 trouncing of Richmond last Friday.

But the weekend doesn't end there. East Tennessee State will be waiting for the Quakers tomorrow afternoon. While the Lady Bucs own a 2-4 record, all of their losses have come at the hands of ranked opponents, including then-No. 12 Vanderbilt.

For the Quakers to win this weekend and achieve their season goals, they must be able to overcome injury problems and stay healthy. Freshman phenom Ekaterina Kosminskaya has been the Quakers' prime injury victim this season, with tendinitis and, more recently, a pulled stomach muscle.

Kosminskaya said, "I don't know about tomorrow. I hope [the stomach pull] will not bother me, but that's a problem."

Her coach echoed her concerns, but expressed confidence in her abilities.

"She has one match this weekend and I'm confident that she's going to be able to perform at a high level, even with the injuries," Dowd said.

Injuries notwithstanding, the Quakers know they are going to have to battle for every point.

"It's just going to be as tough a match as any - maybe even tougher," junior Yulia Rivelis said.

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