Volleyball: Frosh may give much-needed breath of air

By pari hashemi

Staff Writer

phashemi@sas.upenn.edu

The difference between this year's and last year's women's volleyball team is night and day, according to coach Kerry Carr.

And the difference is the incoming freshmen, who in many ways compose the strongest recruiting class that Penn has had in years.

"The freshmen are coming in and making everyone better," Carr said. "The combination of the returnees' commitment and talented freshmen gives me a lot of confidence."

Among the new faces are Megan Tryon, part of the 2007 All-Tournament team at the Junior Nationals' 18-Open division, and Madison Wojciechowski, nicknamed "Wojo" by the team.

"The freshman are definitely impacting us right now," Carr said, "You will see a lot of them in the next few weeks."

The Red and Blue add more than just new players. The new assistant coaches, J. Chapman and Jen Randall, have been charged with applying their knowledge right away.

The Quakers hope the new perspectives from these coaches will help them win the Ivy League title, something they hasn't done for several years. Since a run of three NCAA Tournament appearances in a row, from 2001 to 2003, the well has dried up.

"Our main goal is to win the Ivy League Championship and improve with each game," Carr said. "The new coaches have given a lot of good ideas and had a positive impact on the team."

And this would be the year to capture the title, as Carr believes there's more parity in the league this year, not one team largely favored to take home the crown.

To get a jump-start, the Quakers took full advantage of the off-season, working hard in the weight room and on the court.

"I think they are going to really do well this year in many areas," Carr said. "They will be able to outlast the other teams because they have taken on a big . weightlifting and endurance program this summer."

The superior physical condition the players are in comes from the leadership of the captains. Laura Black, Meredith Laning and Anna Shlimak all have emerged as key players on and off the court for the improving team.

"The captains have no problems saying what they think and if you aren't doing something right," Carr said. "Their leadership has been very powerful."

But there are 18 other players on the team, all of whom could potentially start. Karr's at a loss to decide which players will make the cut for this weekend's tournament.

"I have 21 people on the roster and anyone can play," she said. "Everyone is contending for a starting position, which is a great position for me to be in."

The position Carr doesn't like is the fourth-place one her team occupied after the 2006 season. But she will hope to pave the path to change starting this weekend at the Seton Hall tournament.

"We are really excited about this weekend," Carr said. "I think it will test us a lot and we are tired of practicing. We just want to get out there and play."

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