Women's Volleyball: Young squad falters at Penn State

The women’s volleyball team struggled through the Penn State Classic, dropping three consecutive games to fall below .500 for the first time this season. The team put up strong fights against St. John’s and George Washington universities but was powerless to stop Penn State, the three-time defending champions.

The Tigers (4-6) went into the tournament high off a win against George Mason at the Rutgers Tournament, but Princeton was unable to sustain its run against the Red Storm, falling 25-17, 26-24, 25-20. St. John’s took the first set without too much trouble, and although the second and third sets were down to the wire, the Tigers were unable to take one from the Storm.

Sophomore offensive hitter Lydia Rudnick kept the Tigers in it early, recording 13 kills and six digs for the match, while senior co-captain and defensive specialist C.C. Lobben managed a team-high 13 digs.

The second game wasn’t nearly as close as the first, as Penn State’s physical advantages proved to be too much from the start. Despite a loss to Stanford last week, which ended their record-smashing run of 109 straight match wins over the past three seasons, the Nittany Lions came into this weekend ready to show the world that they were still on top of the league. They made Princeton’s second matchup an uphill battle from the start, dominating most plays and finishing off the Tigers 25-8, 25-8, 25-13 in three short sets.

The game against George Washington proved to be a final tough test for Princeton. Ultimately the Tigers were spent after fighting through the last two difficult games, and they succumbed to George Washington 25-17, 25-17, 25-15. The Tigers had strong performances from multiple juniors, with middle blocker Cathryn Quinn contributing seven kills and four blocks, setter Michaela Venuti recording 19 assists and defensive specialist Hillary Ford joining in with 16 digs.

The Tigers’ best play throughout the tournament, though, came from sophomore Jennifer Palmquist. A recent switch in offensive position from middle hitter to the right side has allowed her game to blossom, and she posted multiple strong performances this weekend. Palmquist scored five kills against Penn State’s mostly impenetrable defense, and against George Washington she led the team with nine kills and five blocks. For her work this weekend, Palmquist was named to the All-Tournament team.

Despite the Tigers’ difficulties, there are many reasons for optimism this early in the season. At least some of the team’s struggles can be attributed to its relative youth, as freshmen comprise more than a third of the team this year.

“Obviously having so many freshmen affects the chemistry of the team, but luckily we have been blessed with great freshmen who are excited to be here,” Palmquist said. “This preseason we have been really focusing on coming together as a team and helping each other play at the level we are capable of.”

The ability of the freshmen to grow into their roles on the team as quickly as possible will be key to the team’s success in the fast-approaching Ivy League games.

Fortunately, the Tigers also have the added bonus of knowing that they opened their season against some of the strongest competition they will have to face this season. Despite its drop to No. 2 in the national rankings after its recent loss to Stanford, Penn State will still be a formidable team this year; Princeton’s matchups against Ivy League opponents will provide them with much more even competition.

“I think at this point we really just need to come together as a team and learn to consistently play our game with a lot of focus and energy,” Palmquist said.

The volleyball team will have a chance to do just that on Wednesday, when the Tigers face Temple for their first home game of the season.