The Lady Monarchs technically hail from Norfolk, Va., where their school is based. But when the Old Dominion tennis team heads to the Lott Courts today, the match will have a far more international flavor.
Old Dominion's roster more closely resembles a United Nations roll call than a list of varsity athletes.
All seven players who will take on the Quakers today are from countries outside of North America: Serbia, Israel, Brazil, Poland, South Africa and the Czech Republic.
Penn, meanwhile, boasts two stars born in Moscow.
One of those, senior captain Julia Koulbitskaya, said that tonight's contest will "set the bar" for the Quakers.
Old Dominion (5-0) has yet to lose a match this season, most recently defeating George Washington (6-1). That was the only point it allowed all season, as it shut out its first four opponents.
But the Lady Monarchs be faced with a similarly dominant squad. Penn has emerged victorious in nine straight regular-season matches, dating back to last season.
During that span, the Quakers already knocked off the Lady Monarchs once before. The two teams met in Virginia last March, and Penn's doubles teams struggled, winning only one match. But what the Quakers lacked in doubles they made up in singles, taking five of those six for a solid 5-2 win.
With that in mind, the women go in to their match today with high expectations.
If anything will be different from last year, it may be Penn's success in doubles. Against Temple last weekend, the Quakers swept all three doubles matches. And during the William and Mary tournament in the fall, Penn's Yulia Rivelis and Maria Anisimova eked out a doubles victory over their Old Dominion counterparts, 9-8 (6).
Koulbitskaya acknowledges that the Lady Monarchs have "consistent strength" down the line-up, but feels that Penn is prepared for the tough competition.
Assistant coach Sarah Schiffman - who played tennis at Penn before graduating two years ago - said that the Quakers want to build on their dominating 6-1 win at Temple.
"We hope to carry that momentum into the match," she said.
Schiffman noted that both teams have similar makeup and depth, which could make for an exciting meet that may hinge on a single matchup.
If it's close, the Quakers will need No. 1 Ekaterina Kosminskaya. But they are unsure if the sophomore from Russia - who sat out last weekend with the flu - will be healthy enough to play.
Old Dominion has more experience this season, having already played six matches this spring. Koulbitskaya said that the Quakers will only get better as they are able to play more.
Overall, though, Penn has a more veteran squad, with four seniors and three juniors.
The Quakers are expecting today to be a battle. No matter the outcome, though, Schiffman said the team is always looking to its "ultimate goal . to peak at the end of Ivies."
"Every match is important" for this purpose, she added.
And they will also get to take on the world - all from the comfort of home.
