Penn volleyball will need every advantage this weekend. And the Palestra just might give one to them.
Facing top teams Albany (7-5) and Temple (4-10) in the Sheraton-Penn invitational this weekend the Quakers may have to rely on a little home-court advantage.
"There is definitely an air current in here," senior tri-captain Anna Shlimak said. "It especially affects serving. We know how to deal with it and they won't, so that gives us a little edge."
Even with that edge the Quakers (3-4) will have their hands full. They have yet to beat the Owls in coach Kerry Carr's nine seasons and the Great Danes are potentially a top-25 team.
"We have to play at a better level to beat them," Carr said. "That's how we'll have to play to beat the top teams in the Ivy League. It will be a true test to see that last week wasn't a fluke and we are really playing this well together."
Last weekend at the American Volleyball Tournament, the Quakers took three of four games, pushing the one they lost into five games.
After losing in the fifth against a strong American team, Penn refocused on how to play in crucial game moments during practice.
"We've really worked on serve-receive in pressure situations," Carr said. "If we can pass under pressure we'll be fine. It's a lot of mental stuff."
Another big factor will be the play of outside hitters Shlimak and fellow senior Laura Black.
"They were up and down last weekend and I'd really like to see them break through and be strong all around all the time," Carr said. "I know they have it in them."
Temple and Albany aren't the only teams in the tournament. The Quakers will also take on Quinnipiac on Sunday. The Quakers hope to make quick work of the Bobcats, giving Carr an opportunity to use most of her 21-player roster.
The Quakers will have to lookout for Albany's middle blocker, Ashley Crenshaw.
But even though she's an all-conference selection in the America East with 3.02 blocks per game last year, Crenshaw might not even be the best player in the tournament.
That distinction belongs to Temple's Yue Liu, who is a two-time all-conference player in the A-10. A 6-foot-1 outside hitter, Liu was second in the conference in kills last year. The Quakers' front line has its hands full with both players.
But in what could be a close weekend, the difference may just lie in the wind.
