To the long list of reasons to hate Penn, add one more. The Quakers (8-4 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) took the women's volleyball team's home opener away from them on Friday.
No one expected the Penn game to be a pushover, but the Tigers' (6-5, 0-1) hopes were high as they entered the match. They were fresh off a 3-1 weekend, and with 10 games under their belts finally seemed to have acquired enough experience to put forth their best effort. The defense was excelling, and the offense finally seemed ready to roll. This was a good sign, as Princeton was to face a powerful opponent in Penn.
The Quakers brought four returning All-Ivy players to the match and were starting their quest for a third-straight Ivy League championship. Though Penn's defense had shown holes early in the season, the offense, led by All-Ivy first-teamer Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, looked as destructive as ever. The matchup between the Tiger 'D' and the Penn 'O' was supposed to be an impressive one, and it did not disappoint.
An early hole
Unfortunately, the first two games did. Princeton simply committed too many errors, both offensively and defensively. The first game, though close in score, was a shining example that Princeton's early-season woes have not yet gone for good. The 30-26 final in Penn's favor was more a result of Tiger mistakes than any brilliant plays by the Quakers.
This trend continued in game two, as Penn jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on a series of Princeton errors, forcing head coach Glenn Nelson to call timeout. Whatever was said in that huddle must have taken hold, because the Tigers halted the Quaker advance almost immediately. The Tigers quickly produced some smart plays to mollify the effects of their goof-ups, not managing to eat into Penn's lead but keeping it from growing any bigger.
Unfortunately, this turnaround was never enough, as their hard-hitting opponents and their own passing struggles made sure the Princeton squad never got within striking distance. With a 30-24 final in game two, Penn was now one game away from sealing the match, and things looked bleak.
Tigers, wake up!
"We didn't play our best the first two games," sophomore outside hitter Lauren Grumet said, citing the understatment of the year after game three.
Princeton jumped out to a small early lead and never looked back. The Tigers were simply hitting the living heck out of the ball. The passing was crisp, the defense brilliant, the communication errors almost nonexistent, and the execution nearly flawless. Within no time, the score was lopsided, 29-19 to Princeton's advantage, and despite a brief Quaker rally, the Tigers put the game away 30-23.
All of a sudden, Penn had a match on its hands. The two squads hammered the opening of game four back and forth, coming up tied at eight and looking completely even.
Penn regains control
Then it happened: the errors came back. Penn jumped out to a 19-15 lead, and the Tigers took a timeout in what looked like a desperately needed attempt to find a solution to their problems.
As they had in game two, the Quakers came out of the huddle looking strong. Sadly, the game seemed to have slipped out of Princeton's control. Three times the Tigers set themselves up for perfect kill attempts, and three times their best hits were sent right back in their faces by the Penn defense. The final block sent the ball to the ground, and with it went Princeton's morale. The Tigers' spirits fell so hard you could hear it in the stands. Game over.
Though Princeton made a bold attempt at a rally late in the game, even getting within four points, the game-breaker at 19-15 had sealed their fate with the 6-0 Penn rally it produced. The final score read 30-26, and there was nothing for the Tigers to do but look to the future.
"We need to work on starting off stronger, just playing an all-around better game early," Grumet said. "This was definitely a game we could have won."
Once again, experience seems to be the only thing holding Princeton back. Penn is a powerful team with players that hit as hard as anyone the Tigers will see for the rest of the year. Yet the Princeton defense largely handled them, led by freshman outside hitter Jenny McReynolds' 26 digs.
Princeton gets another chance to defend its home court Wednesday against St. Francis.
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