Here is a look at what the soccer, field hockey, and volleyball teams are up against this weekend.
Women's soccer
The women's soccer team is back on the field again this week, hoping to improve on their 5-2-2 record and tally a win in the Ivy League. This weekend, Penn will welcome Cornell onto Rhodes Field in a matchup against a fellow Ivy League school.
Coming off of a tough 3-0 loss against the Harvard Crimson in the Ivy League opener, the Quakers are hoping to start off the new month with a win. Despite the rough end to last weekend’s game, the team still shined through with notable stats.
The Red and Blue had an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, despite Harvard outshooting Penn, 23-5. Sophomore Laurence Gladu set a new season and career-high in saves, with 10 for the game.
Five players — Peyton Raun, Maya Leschly, Emily Pringle, Ginger Fontenot, Sara Readinger, and Gladu — played the entire 90 minutes, giving it their all in the match. We can expect to see this dedication in their upcoming game, as the team hopes to achieve victory on their home turf.
Cornell (2-5-2) won their last game against their fellow New York and Ivy League counterpart, Columbia, and the team will be gunning for the Quakers, hoping to bring their win streak to two. Hungry for a victory, Penn women’s soccer head coach Casey Brown and assistant coaches Becky Edwards and Rose Hull are prepared to bring the heat and leave the field with a win.
Men's soccer
Coming off a win against Monmouth, Penn men’s soccer hopes to add to the team's win streak in their upcoming game against fellow Ivy League school Cornell. Penn will host the Big Red on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Rhodes Field.
The Quakers shined in their last game against the MAAC champions and garnered up some impressive stats. A connection between seniors Ben Stitz and Isaac McGinnis was Penn’s only goal but proved to be enough to help them achieve victory.
Fellow senior Dane Jacomen also had impressive stats, as he blocked all five of Monmouth’s attempted shots. The Red and Blue plan to bring this same skill and intensity to the field as they face some tough competition.
Although Cornell will enter this Ivy League opener off a loss against Wake Forest University, they currently have a record of 5-1-1, having won their first four games of the season. With this in mind, the Quakers intend to practice hard and play harder, in order to keep up build on the team's 4-2-1 record.
Field hockey
Saying that the Quakers (3-5) have a tough schedule this year is an understatement. The Red and Blue have faced five ranked opponents in their first eight matches, falling short in all of them.
They will look to bounce back from two tough home defeats against No. 17 Princeton and No. 12 Syracuse. They take on Harvard this weekend in Cambridge with a chance to earn the team's first Ivy League victory and win against a ranked opponent this season.
Junior forward/midfielder Sydney Huang is having a big year for the Quakers, as she is leading the team in points with six. Huang is tied for first on the team in goals and assists with two each in eight matches.
Senior defensive midfielder and team captain Gracyn Banks is also performing well, ranking second on the team in points with five. Banks is tied for first with two goals and also dishing out one assist in eight matches.
Other strong performers include sophomore forward/midfielder Allison Kuzyk and junior forward Julia Russo, who are also both tied for the team lead in goals with two each.
Guarding the net, sophomore keeper Sabien Paumen has been solid, allowing 23 goals and registering 37 saves in eight matches for a save percentage of 61.7%.
Volleyball
After a tough start to the season, Penn volleyball (3-7) returns home and looks to take control of the team's Ivy League schedule with two matches this weekend: Harvard (4-6) on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Dartmouth (8-2) on Saturday evening at 5 p.m.
The Quakers — currently on a seven-game losing skid — are coming off a disappointing defeat at Princeton, in which they weren’t able to find their footing throughout the whole match and lost to the Tigers in straight sets.
For the Quakers this season, it has been the Autumn Leak show. The junior outside hitter has been dominant on the attack in nine matches, leading the team with 166 kills, 55 digs, and 15 blocks for good measure.
Junior defensive specialist Caroline Douglas — first on team with 141 digs — and senior middle hitter Daniela Fornaciari — first on team with 26 blocks — have been stout defensively.
Senior opposite hitter Margaret Planek has played strong, ranking second on the team 87 kills, 58 digs, and posting 17 blocks as well.
Other strong performers include junior outside hitter Madeline McGregor, who has put up 72 kills, 36 digs, and 15 blocks so far this season.
Fans who wish to cheer on the Quakers at the Palestra this weekend must prove their COVID-19 vaccination status and will be required to wear face coverings.
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