VB looking to block skid away

Reeling from four straight losses, Penn coach Kerry Carr has devised a master plan.

"We're going to work on winning," she said.

The Quakers will face La Salle, Bucknell and Villanova at the Villanova classic today and tomorrow, before returning to the Palestra to take on Seton Hall on Sunday.

And to win, the women have been working on their blocking, a weakness that left their defense vulnerable last weekend.

"Sometimes there were holes in the block, sometimes there were people who didn't go up in the block," Carr said. "With our first line of defense gone, it's really hard to work on the second and third lines."

Many drills this week specifically focused on strengthening the block.

But in all aspects of their game, one concern has been consistency. The Quakers don't feel they have been out-matched over their first five games. Instead, they look at the points they've lost on unforced errors.

"In my mind, if you can block that hitter from Florida once, you should be able to block her every time," Carr said. "[Consistency] is just taking the time to focus on what you're supposed to be doing and what techniques you're supposed to be using."

That consistency has been affected by Penn's constantly changing lineup. Even in practice, Carr shakes up the rotation, hoping to create competition among her players.

"I don't want a consistent losing lineup," she said. " It's tough when you go against tough teams to really determine if this is going to be our lineup, because . we never make up our minds during a losing run."

One roster change this weekend is the return of senior captain Stephanie Gwin, who has been out with an injury.

"When she is on, she is jaw-dropping good," Carr said. "She's going to be one of those players that you're like 'Where did she come from?' her senior year. She's a key player to watch this weekend."

The Red and Blue will be the beneficiaries of some first-hand scouting, as they'll watch Bucknell play Villanova today.

Carr classified Bucknell and La Salle as scrappy, defensive teams, and Villanova and Seton Hall as offensive powerhouses. This distinction will be important in how the Quakers approach each game.

"We have our blocking goals against tougher teams who are swinging harder," Carr said, "but we run through some of our digging goals against the scrappier teams."

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