Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team earned a 3-2 win over Chicago State on Saturday morning and followed it up with a 3-0 win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday evening, sweeping through the Valley Forge Sports Invitational at The Palestra, going a perfect 3-0. The Quakers are now 5-1 on the year, their best start since going 8-1 to open the season in 2009.
 
CHICAGO STATE
The Quakers got off to a hot start in the first two sets, recording both wins by a final score of 25-22. Junior Parker Jones recorded 10 kills in each frame and the Quakers never trailed beyond a 1-0 deficit in the second set.
 
Despite the quick start, the Quakers allowed the Cougars back into it, as CSU won the third set 25-23 and the fourth set 25-12. The third set proved to be a back-and-forth battle as the two teams tied each other at 12 different points in the stanza, the last at 22-22 before the Cougars took three of the last four points to swing the momentum in their favor. The fourth set was a challenging one for the Quakers, who only mustered a season-low 12 points and were outscored 15-4 as Chicago State evened things up.
 
However, Penn was able to outlast Chicago State in the fifth and deciding set, 15-12. Sophomore Margaret Planek was particularly effective in the fifth, with five kills on six attacks (.833 hitting percentage). Jones led Penn with 15 kills in the game, while Planek had 14 and junior Caroline Leng added nine kills and five blocks. Taylor Fourticq finished the match with a team-high 33 assists, 13 digs, and three service aces.
 
In the second game of the day, Duquesne built an early lead on St. Francis Brooklyn and held on, winning 3-1 by a final score of 26-24, 23-25, 25-21 and 25-12.
 
ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
The Quakers put their foot on the gas early and never looked back, defeating the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers by a decisive 3-0 margin to round out the invitational.
 
Jones continued her remarkable afternoon, pacing the Quakers for a dominant 25-13 first set win. Jones notched six kills and had a remarkable attack percentage of .545, while the Quakers also tallied six blocks to pace the early advantage. She was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
 
The second set proved to be Penn's fiercest challenge of the evening, but the Quakers ultimately prevailed 26-24. Autumn Leak recorded five kills but was matched by St. Francis Brooklyn's Una Stevic, who recorded five of her own. A block by Aiyu Aimufua and Planek, followed by a kill from Jones put the Quakers in front.
 
In the third set, the Quakers and Terriers brought more of the same, with the Quakers earning the victory 25-23. Jones tallied an even more impressive .714 attack percentage, while notching five kills. Planek also tallied five kills and the Quakers held on for an impressive sweep.

ALL-TOURNAMENT
Parker Jones, Penn - MVP
Margaret Planek, Penn
Carmina Raquel, Penn
Liz Wayne, Duquesne
Summer Slade, Duquesne
Una Stevic, St. Francis Brooklyn
Megan Klavitter, Chicago State

Penn returns to action next Friday and Saturday at the UC Riverside Invitational, with matches against the host Highlanders as well as Seattle and Cal State Fullerton.