There is too much at stake for the women's tennis team to get sentimental now.
Today's clash against Cornell will be the seniors' last home match. Going into the final weekend of play, the second-place Quakers (9-7, 4-1 Ivy) still have a mathematical shot at repeating as Ivy League champs. They likely will also have to beat last-place Columbia (2-13, 0-5) tomorrow as well, and certainly will need assistance from their Ivy brethren.
Even though Cornell is sitting in sixth place at 2-3 in the Ivy League, Penn coach Mike Dowd said that the Quakers have to be prepared.
"No opponent is to be overlooked," he said.
Dowd pointed to Cornell's 4-3 victory over Brown, a team with 10 wins - second-most in the Ivy League - as evidence that the Big Red are talented.
He also knows that no matter what the Quakers do this weekend, they will need either Harvard or Dartmouth to upset undefeated Yale.
The Crimson and Big Green are tied for fourth in the Ancient Eight with .500 records against Ivy opponents.
At the beginning of the year, the Quakers set out to defend their conference crown. Dowd feels that's still possible, as long as his players handle their opponents like they have all year.
Penn has won 5-2 three times, 6-1 once, and the one loss against Yale was by a thin 4-3 margin.
Dowd thinks that Kate Kosminskaya could receive more Ivy trophies, despite her inconsistencies this season.
"Kate is absolutely in the running to repeat as Ivy League player of the year, if she wins all of her matches this weekend," Dowd said.
But Dowd reserved his highest praise for his seniors. All four - Julia Koulbitskaya, Michelle Mitchell, Yulia Rivelis and Charlotte Tansill - will be honored before today's match.
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