The women's tennis team heads to California for spring break with clear goals - five wins and good tans.
The road trip will help show the No. 37 Quakers (6-1) exactly where they stand. They start out with their two toughest opponents, No. 41 UC Irvine and No. 35 Long Beach State.
Two wins could help the Quakers move up in the rankings, but that's certainly not the team's focus.
"We look at the rankings, but they really don't mean much until the end of the year when the NCAA tournament rolls around," coach Michael Dowd said.
After the first two matches, the Red and Blue should be favorites when they take on the San Diego, St. Mary's and San Francisco.
"A sweep would be great," Dowd said. "We are good enough to do it. We need to play well every single match and not have a letdown."
First, the team will have to adjust to a change in venue. After starting the season on the road, the team has played the last six matches indoors and at home. Now, they are going to be playing on the road and on outdoor courts.
"Competing outdoors is certainly different than playing on indoor courts," captain Ashley Lostritto said. "But it's still the same game."
This change prompted Coach Dowd to move the last three practices outdoors to Lott Courts.
"Practicing outdoors will make us stronger," Lostritto said. "We want to practice outdoors but not in 40-degree weather. It's safe to say we are excited for the California sun."
The spring-break trip has become a time to compete but also to bond. A week together on the road might go a long way towards building chemistry.
While the location is an attractive part of the trip, the women know what they are there for.
"Tennis is the main reason for the trip but if I have time I'd like to see some sights," Ekaterina Kosminskaya said.
Kosminskaya will have her hands full on the trip. As the number-one player, she will have to take on three different top-100 opponents, including 54th-ranked Hannah Grady from Long Beach State.
Also on the line will be Julia Koulbitskaya's undefeated singles streak.
Koulbitskaya, the lone 7-0 Penn player, moved up to play number-two singles last week after playing three all year. Coach Dowd didn't make a big deal of the switch and said he wasn't sure where Koulbitskaya will play when they take on UC-Irvine on Monday.
"There is a lot of parity in the team," Dowd said. "We could make a few changes here and there but it shouldn't make a big difference either way."
