After recording impressive results in the Quakers’ first three meets of 2017, including a second-place individual finish at the Main Line Invitation, Hong’s expectations for the season are higher than they have ever been before.

As we hit the midpoint of the semester, all of Penn Athletics' fall teams now have their seasons underway. Many players have stood out with strong starts to their campaigns, but who has been the MVP thus far? Our editors tackle the question below.

In college athletics, every new season brings plenty of new faces and, more painfully, a host of goodbyes. But this was not the case last season for one Penn team, a rarity which will make the end of this season all the more bittersweet.

Already garnering such impressive titles as Ivy League Volleyball Rookie of Week (twice in three weeks) and DP Sports’ Player of the Week, freshman Parker Jones is making her presence well-known very early in her college career.

The first word that comes to mind when thinking of junior volleyball co-captain Taylor Cooper is hardworking. Dedicated to the sport and her team, Cooper constantly works to attain more both on and off the court.

In the Quakers’ first contest since taking a 6-0 loss at the hands of defending Ivy League champion Harvard — the team’s worst loss since 2014 — Penn made sure it wouldn’t feel that sting twice in a row. Led by a shutout from goalie Ava Rosati, the Red and Blue trounced Dartmouth, 3-0, seizing their largest margin of victory all season to stay in contention for their first Ivy League title since 2004.

Penn volleyball showed that on Saturday with a resilient four-set victory over Dartmouth after losing a five-set heartbreaker Harvard the previous night.

Penn women's soccer managed to pull out their first multi-goal game of the season, beating Delaware State, 2-0.

With so many contenders, our staff faces off to debate: Which team has the best chance to finish the fall as an Ivy League Champion? 

On Saturday, Penn field hockey fell to No. 14 Harvard 6-0 on Berylson Field as the  Crimson scored four goals in the first half and finished the game with six different goal scorers on 17 total shots. Junior goalkeeper Libby Manela earned the shutout in goal for her eighth win of the season. 

This past Friday at Rhodes Field, Penn tied Cornell in a hard-fought but scoreless battle. Coming off of a statement win against Harvard, the Quakers came out hot to start the game, firing off three shots to Cornell’s zero in the first 15 minutes of the contest.

Last year, Penn field hockey lost in a riveting double-overtime match against the Harvard Crimson. What will they do differently this year to clench a win? 

Now, riding an incredible wave of momentum, the Quakers turn their attention to the Paul Short Invitational. After the Red and Blue take the 90 minute trek up to Bethlehem, both the men and the women will be greeted with the longest course that they have seen thus far. The men have an 8K, and the women face a 6K —a mile longer than the previous longest course.

On Friday, the Quakers will take a trip to New Haven, Conn. to face off against Yale and on Saturday, they will head up to Providence, R.I. for a match against Brown.

Coming off a stunning victory at defending Ivy League Champions Harvard this past weekend, the Quakers (2-5-2, 1-0 Ivy) are taking aim at visiting Cornell at home this Friday.

After defeating Cornell at home on Saturday 2-0, Penn field hockey completed the undefeated weekend on the road with a 3-2 overtime victory over American. The Quakers (4-4, 1-0 Ivy) entered both games as underdogs with Cornell (5-2, 01) and American (7-3) both getting off to impressive starts this season.