PHILADELPHIA - Sophomore Parker Jones hit 18 kills Tuesday night in The Palestra to lead the University of Pennsylvania women's volleyball team (3-5) past Delaware State (1-10), 3-1. The win marks Penn's first in The Palestra this season. The team will now head on the road for the Mountaineer Classic in West Virginia this weekend. 

Match Notes - Box Score

- Penn's win against Delaware State marks its first home win at The Palestra this season. 

- The Quakers improve to 2-0 all-time against Delaware State.

* The Red and Blue had three players (Parker Jones, Raven Sulaimon, and Daniela Fornaciari) hit with an efficiency higher than .300. As a team, the Quakers hit .291 to Delaware State's .170.

* By winning the first set 25-21, Penn is 5-3 in opening sets this season. 

- Parker Jones earned her third double-double in as many matches. The sophomore had 18 kills and 12 digs. 

- Raven Sulaimon also earned double-digit kills with 15. It's the second time in three matches that Sulaimon has put up 15 kills.

- Kylie Kulinski dished out a new career-high in assists. The freshmen had 48 on Tuesday night which is a new season-high for the Quakers as well. 

- Daniela Fornaciari continues to be a force in the middle at the net. She had four blocks which marks the seventh time in eight matches that she's had at least three. 

How it Happened

The Quakers came in to Tuesday night's match against Delaware State looking for its first win at The Palestra this season. Penn got out to a hot start going up 7-2 to begin the match. Two kills by Parker Jones sparked a 5-0 run to give the Red and Blue a 16-11 lead. While the Hornets pulled within three,  Taylor Cooper closed out the set, 25-21, with her third kill of the match. 

The match's second set proved to be a back and fourth one, with neither team gaining more than a few points of separation. Finally, it was Delaware State that seemed to pull away on a 5-0 run to go up 18-14. The Quakers however, would not go down without a fight. Three points away from facing a tie match, Penn won three straight to tie the set up at 22 as Raven Sulaimon came up big with a kill and a block on back-to-back points.

Sulaimon wasn't finished there. With the team facing set point, down 24-23, the sophomore hit her sixth kill of the set to tie it once again — this time at 24. Penn won the ensuing two points to take a commanding 2-0 lead over the Hornets. 

The four set also proved to be a close one, but this time it was Delaware State coming out on top 28-26. 

The Quakers used a 5-1 run in the beginning of the fourth to take the lead and never looked back. Freshman, Daniela Fornaciari clinched the match with her seventh kill to give Penn the 3-1 lead. 

What's next

Penn heads on the road to West Virginia this weekend for the Mountaineer Classic. The Quakers will play Morehead State, Wake Forest, and West Virginia.