Volleyball in thick of title race

Although the close battle for the volleyball Ivy League Championship makes every game important, Penn's Friday night match-up against Cornell is about more than just the standings.

Not only is The Big Red responsible for the Quakers' only Ivy League loss -- reason enough to seek revenge -- it is also one of the team's traditional rivals, according to team captain Stacey Carter.

"Each game is important to the final goal," Carter said. "But we've always had a little rivalry with Cornell. It's always great to beat them."

The Red and Blue (6-1) lost in three straight games to their rivals from the north, despite a notable comeback attempt by the Quakers. Cornell's strong blocking game stifled Penn's offense - a rare occurrence that is unlikely to be repeated this weekend.

"We've been working really hard to change our offensive tactics," Carr said. "They are the best blocking team in the league. We're definitely ready to prove we're the better team," Carter said.

The Big Red will travel to the Palestra with three Ivy League loses, but every team is competitive and capable of taking the title.

"Any game we lose could potentially cost us the championship," Carter said. "A win versus Cornell isn't any more important than a win against another team, but it would potentially separate us from Harvard, which could mean the championship."

"Every game is the Ivy Championship right now, no team can afford to drop a game to anyone," Carr said. "Especially Friday night against Cornell. To us, they're the best team out there."

The Quakers also face Columbia on Saturday. The Lions fell, 3-1, the last time the teams met, but that doesn't mean Penn won't take them seriously.

"The hard part is we tend to look past them," Carter said. "We really have to focus on our game [instead]."

Columbia will pit two powerful hitters against the Penn defense. Kathy Lavoid, their middle-hitter, often posts 20 kills per game.

"If we can shut those two girls down we should be alright," Carr said. "But they've shown they are capable of beating us."

The Quakers are hoping to rely on a new fan-base to aid in shutting down their two New York opponents. Last weekend's unusually large crowd provided them with valuable momentum that they hope to recapture.

"I think we gained a lot of fans from last time," Carr said. "They helped us beat Harvard, hopefully they'll help win another League Championship."

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