PHILADELPHIA – Playing at home for the first time in nearly a month, the University of Pennsylvania volleyball team opened its first full Ivy League weekend with a 3-1 loss to Harvard on Friday night. The Quakers and Crimson were tied after two sets—Harvard winning the first 25-13, Penn the second 30-28—before the visitors held for a 26-24 victory in the third set and a 25-19 decision in the fourth.
 
Penn is now 3-8 overall and 0-2 in Ivy play, while Harvard is 5-6 overall and 2-0 in the league.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Daniela Fornaciari led the way on the attack, gathering a team-high nine kills and hitting .333 for the night. She also had a block solo and five block assists.
 
*Emerson Flornes was also a presence at the net, with seven block assists on defense and six kills on offense.
 
*Caroline Douglas had 16 digs to lead the Quakers in that category, followed by Madison Risch who had 10.
 
*Margaret Planek had eight kills on Friday night, while Autumn Leak had seven to go with eight digs and a service ace.
 
*Madeline McGregor had six kills and hit .308 on Friday night.
 
*Kylie Kulinski led Penn with 20 assists and also had nine digs and a service ace, while Jo Armstrong had 15 assists and six digs as well as a service ace
 
How It Happened
Harvard broke a 3-3 tie with three straight points in the first set and never looked back, essentially winning two points to every one for Penn en route to an easy victory.
 
The Quakers recovered in a major way. The second set had plenty of drama, much of it coming after Penn had used a five-point run to go in front 17-11. The lead was still six at 22-16 when the Crimson made their move, winning four straight points via kills. Penn took timeout and won the next point on a Harvard attack error, but two more Crimson kills made the score 23-22 before yet another attack error gave Penn set point.
 
Harvard staved those off, tying things at 24-24, before a Fornaciari kill gave Penn a third set point. However, a Penn attack error and a Harvard kill put the Crimson in front, 26-25, but the Quakers tied it before kills by Leak and Harvard's Olivia Cooper made it 27-27. The Crimson's Ava Rauser committed an attack error, then made up for it with a kill which made the score 28-28, before a Flornes kill and a block by Flornes and Planek secured the set for the Quakers.
 
The teams needed to go past 25 again in the third set, though not quite as deep as the previous one. Once again Penn got some separation, going up 11-6 early. Harvard chipped away at the lead, though, and used a four-point spurt to turn a 19-17 deficit into a 21-19 lead. Penn scored the next three points to go back in front, 22-21, but Harvard used its own three-point run to get to set point. The Quakers staved off the first one, then a Planek kill tied things at 24-24. At that point, a Nicole Prescott kill and a Planek error gave the critical third set to the Crimson.
 
The fourth set was tied, 10-10, when Harvard ripped off six straight points. Penn was able to get back within two on a pair of occasions, the second coming at 19-17, but at that point the Crimson scored five straight points which got them to set point. Penn got a McGregor kill and an Harvard attack error to briefly stay alive before a Prescott kill sealed the deal.
 
Up Next
Penn continues this home weekend with Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon at The Palestra; first serve between the Quakers and Big Green will be at 5 p.m.