MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - The University of Pennsylvania women's volleyball team (5-4) got back to what they do best over the weekend at the Robert Morris Invitational. After tough losses to Navy, La Salle, and Rutgers, the Quakers responded by playing more aggressive and it paid off. Penn wrapped up Friday with a 3-2 win over host school Robert Morris and then concluded the tournament with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-17) win over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday. 

With the win, the Quakers take back-to-back hard fought non-conference wins into league play which starts on Friday. The Red and Blue also win their second tournament  in three weeks after winning the George Mason Invitational two weeks ago. 

Inside the Numbers

*Senior Kendall Covington hit .600 or higher for the second consecutive match and had nine kills. Covington's performance earned her tournament MVP and a spot on the all-tournament team. 

*Also making it on the all-tournament team were Hayley Molnar and Parker Jones. Molnar finished the weekend with a six kill and .385 hit percentage performance. Meanwhile, Jones has put up double-doubles in five of the last six matches which included 13 kills and 15 digs against Middle Tennessee. 

*The Quakers out-hit Middle Tennessee .257 to .144 and had nine blocks compared to the Blue Raiders' four. 

How it Happened

The Quakers entered the day against Middle Tennessee looking to leave the tournament with a second straight win and on a good note before Ivy League play begins next week. The Red and Blue did just that staying in control for the entire match leaving little chance for a comeback from the Blue Raiders. 

In the first set, the Quakers took control early winning eight of nine points to go up 13-6 and they didn't look back. An ace by Courtney Quinn and kill by Parker Jones close out the first set 25-17. 

Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley emphasized getting off to fast starts this week and that trend continued in the second set as the Quakers got up 6-2 with two more kills from Jones. The freshman helped put her team up 14-7 and in full control. The Blue Raiders came withing four, but once again, it was Jones who closed out the set 25-19. 

The third and final set was much of the same. While finding themselves down 3-5, the Quakers went on two 5-0 runs to go up 9-6 and then 19-13. With the help from Courtney Quinn and Hayley Molnar, Penn won four of the final five points to close out the set and the match. 

What's Next

Next up, the Quakers finally get into Ivy League play and will have a big test to start as they face off against defending league champion, Princeton on the road on Friday. The Red and Blue have faced some difficult opponents in non-conference play which should help for the challenges that lie ahead.