All athletic directors have their own hiring methods, and all coaches interact with their respective teams differently, but both within Penn itself and the entire NCAA, team sports tend to have female coaches at a very high rate, while sports more individual in nature have been hiring male coaches in increasing numbers — and this is no coincidence.

Few expected Penn women's basketball to beat, or even hang with, No. 3 Notre Dame. But that didn't stop the Quakers from playing their hearts out in a 66-54 loss. And in that effort, they showcased why they are once again the favorites to win the Ivy title. 

Despite the final result, it was Notre Dame who left disappointed, and the Quakers who held their heads high. 

On December 9, Penn women’s basketball is set to take on No. 3 Notre Dame, which may prove to be a difficult matchup for the Quakers. Coming off of a tough Big 5 loss against La Salle (4-3) on November 29, the Quakers (2-3) are looking to rebound after a shaky start to the season.

But in the study, the Ivy League was the lone exception, earning the only “passing” score out of eight studied conferences, with 55 percent of its women’s varsity teams having female head coaches.

After the three long days of intense competition, the women placed fifth out of eight teams with 346 points, while the men came in third with 733 points, finishing behind only Denver (by just seven points) and the hosts, No. 15 Tennessee.

"I had so much adrenaline, so it didn't really affect me until after the match," Sedky explained seven hours later, with her nose still bleeding. "It did sting in the beginning, but it was fine." 

In order to prepare for the tough competition they’ll face later this season, the Quakers keep up a high level of intensity and passion, even in the preseason.

It's not how you start that counts, it's how you finish. Penn women's basketball learned that the hard way tonight. 

Some members of the Red and Blue don the colors of their home country in the summer months. Sara Papp of Hungary, Nicole Wong of Singapore, and Michael Li of the United States are just a few of the Quakers who have had the honor of representing their national team.

Penn men’s and women’s fencing have aspirations for an Ivy League Championship, and they have the leadership to back it up, with the team captains at the forefront.

The Pittsford, NY native has previously served on the U.S. Junior National Team, and the Junior World Championship Team (2006). In 2011, she made the US Women’s Foil team. ESPN Magazine listed Nott among their recognized CoSIDA Academic All-American athletes in her junior year at Notre Dame.

After a deceptively short holiday break, Penn fencing prepares for its second tournament of the season: The Vassar Invitational.

This contest follows last week’s two-game trip to the Bahamas, where the Quakers (2-2) lost to Georgia Tech but responded the next day with an 18-point comeback win versus Missouri State.

A trip to the Bahamas taught us a lot about Penn women's basketball, ranging from the return of an injured star to the breakout of a freshman guard to watch.

The incredible comeback had shades of last year’s season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament to Texas A&M. Up 21 with eight minutes to go, the Quakers fell victim to the largest comeback in tournament history. The Aggies led for just one minute and 39 seconds.

Penn (1-2) kept the game within five or six points for almost the entire game, and even led for a few minutes, but the Yellow Jackets (6-0) went on two crucial runs in the second half that ultimately forced the Quakers out of the game.