PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team (2-3) took the first game against Radford, 25-23, but fell in the ensuing three in Friday's 3-1 loss. Friday marked the home opener for the Quakers as they are hosting the Valley Forge Sports Invitational. Penn will play two matches on Saturday to close out the weekend. 

Box Score

Match Notes

* Freshman Margaret Planek led the team in kills for the first time this season. Planek put away nine. 

* Daniela Fornaciari once again proved to be a force at the net. The freshman teamed up for five blocks, one short of her career high. 

* Carmina Raquel led the team in digs for the second time this season. She finished with 13. 

* Grace James dished out 32 assists. It's the fourth time in the Quakers' five matches that the senior has put up 30 or more assists. 

* Penn's nine aces tied a season high. 

* Friday's loss to Radford marked the first time the Quakers have fallen to the Highlanders. Penn had been 3-0 prior without dropping a game. 

* The loss also marked the first time since 2012 that Penn has lost in its opening match at The Palestra.

How it Happened

The Red and Blue came out firing in their home opener at The Palestra on Friday night against Radford. As has been the case thus far this season, Raven Sulaimon got the Quakers going as she hit the team's first kill of the match. Penn used a 7-3 run to take control in the middle of the game to take a 19-15 lead. Tied at 23, Daniela Fornaciari helped to give Penn the first game with a kill and then teamed up with Taylor Cooper for a block to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead. 

Penn saw itself in the same situation one game later tied at 23, but this time it was the Highlanders who took the final two points to tie up the match on back-to-back kills. Radford took that momentum into the third as well as Penn fell 25-18 to go down 2-1. 

The Quakers fell behind in the fourth. Penn went down a quick 7-0 which eventually became a ten-point deficit at 11-1. Not going down without a fight, the Red and Blue stormed back using an 11-1 run of its own. Margaret Planek tied the score at 15 with a kill and then a Radford error gave the Quakers their first lead of the game. However, a late 7-0 run by the Highlanders gave Radford a 25-19 win as Penn fell 3-1. 

What's Next

The Quakers wrap up the Valley Forge Sports Invitational on Saturday with matches against Saint Francis (PA) at 10 a.m. and Lehigh at 5 p.m.