Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The University of Pennsylvania women's volleyball team split the opening day of the Crosstown Invitational, eking out a 3-2 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore but turning right around and falling to Lehigh, 3-1. Both of the Quakers' matches on Friday took place at Grace Hall on Lehigh's campus.
 
Penn's 3-2 win over The Shore came by scores of 24-26, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 15-13.

Penn's 3-1 loss to Lehigh came by scores of 25-15, 25-14, 29-31, 25-23.
 
Friday's matches were Penn's first of the season.
 
MARYLAND-EASTERN SHORE
Penn held a 24-22 lead in the first set, but UMES reeled off the final four points to gain the early advantage. The Quakers responded with a quick start in the second set, and after the Hawks drew back level at 7-7 Penn reeled off five of the next six points en route to an 18-11 advantage. UMES never got closer than five points after that, and the teams hit the break tied 1-1 in sets.
 
The Shore scored the first three points of the third set, and while Penn was able to tie things up on four separate occasions the Quakers never held a lead as the Hawks took a 25-22 decision. The roles reversed in the fourth set, Penn ripping off four straight points early and never letting UMES back into it en route to a wire-to-wire, 25-15 win.
 
That set the stage for an spectacular fifth set that saw nine ties and six lead changes. Tied at 13-13, Penn won the final two points—the last one coming on a perfectly placed service ace by freshman Caroline Douglas—and the Quakers won, 15-13.
 
Margaret Planek led the Penn attack with 18 kills and a .441 hitting percentage, while freshman Autumn Leak had 11 kills in her collegiate debut. Planek also had 14 digs, topped only by libero Carmina Raquel (21). Parker Jones had eight kills and 10 digs. In her collegiate debut, freshman setter Taylor Fourticq dished off 50 assists.
 
LEHIGH
Penn was forced back into action just 45 minutes after completing its match with UMES, which lasted nearly two and a half hours. Lehigh—playing its first match of the day—took advantage.
 
The teams traded the first six points of the first set, before the Mountain Hawks reeled off six of the next seven points for a 9-4 lead. Penn got back within three, at 14-11, but Lehigh scored four in a row to go up 18-11 en route to a 25-15 victory. The hosts carried that momentum into the second set, taking an early 5-1 lead and never letting the Red and Blue get within four points.
 
To its credit, Penn came out of the break and won an epic third set. At 11-11, the teams traded points—Lehigh throwing the first punch, Penn responding each time—to 16-16. Lehigh then reeled off three straight points to go up 19-16, but the Quakers fought back and were tied at 20-20. From there, the teams tied at every point up to 29-29, before a Douglas ace and a Lehigh attack error gave Penn the stirring, 31-29 win. In all, the set was tied 16 times after that 11-11 score, and no one held more than a one-point lead from 20-19 to the final score.
 
The fourth set was nearly as exciting. Penn looked like it might force a fifth, going up 12-7 and causing a Lehigh timeout. It was still 17-12 Quakers before the Mountain Hawks ripped off six of the next seven points to level things at 18-18. From there the teams tied at 19-19, 20-20, and 21-21 before the hosts scored two in a row to get the room they needed. Penn twice got within a point, thanks to Raven Sulaimon kills, but Lehigh was able to close it out 25-23 for the match victory.
 
Sulaimon was the revelation in Friday's second match, hitting .379 and tying for the team lead with 13 kills. Leak also had 13. Raquel (22), Planek (12) and Jones (10) led the Quakers in digs, while Kacie Burton (22 assists) and Fourticq (13) split duties at the setter spot.
 
Penn returns to action tomorrow, moving across the Valley to Easton, Pa., and completing play in the Crosstown Invitational with a noon match at Lafayette against the Leopards.