PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team closed out the non-conference portion of its 2021 season on Saturday, facing city rivals Temple and Villanova as part of the Owls' City Classic. The Quakers fell to the tournament hosts in the morning match, 3-1 (20-25, 28-26, 25-22, 27-25), and then dropped another four-setter in the afternoon to Villanova 3-1 (21-25, 30-28, 25-23, 25-19).
 
Penn is now 3-6 on the season.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Junior captain Autumn Leak had another standout day. She had a career-high 24 kills in the morning match with Temple, then followed up with 14 more against Villanova. In addition, she hit .307 for the day and had 19 digs (10 of them against Temple for the double-double) and six block assists.
 
*Junior Madeline McGregor also had a strong day at Temple. She had a career-high 19 kills against the Owls and followed up with 16 in the afternoon against the Wildcats, hitting .277 for the day.
 
*Senior captain Margaret Planek had double-doubles in both of Saturday's matches, with 14 kills and 10 digs vs. Temple and 12 kills and 15 digs—tied for the team high—against Villanova.
 
*Senior Daniela Fornaciari was once again opportunistic at the net; she had eight kills with a .462 hitting percentage against Temple, and totaled six block assists on the day.
 
*Freshman setter Sydney Ormiston had 60 assists in the match with Temple along with 11 digs, then added 37 assists and 10 digs against Villanova.
 
*Freshman Paige Gillon made her collegiate debut on Saturday, starting both matches on the front line. She made an impact, too, with 10 kills (she hit .750 against Villanova) and nine blocks (2s/7a).
 
*Junior Caroline Douglas had 30 digs on the day, with 15 in each match.
 
*Two other sophomores made their debuts on Saturday: Julia Bradshaw and Tatum DeMann.
 
How It Happened - TEMPLE
An early four-point run in the first set proved decisive, Penn turning a 3-3 tie into a 7-3 lead. The Quakers never looked back, the Owls never getting closer than that four-point margin the rest of the way.
 
Penn jumped out quickly on its hosts in the second set, as well, scoring the first three points and taking a 7-2 lead that grew to six. The Owls got within three at 13-10 and 14-11, then used a four-point run to get within a point at 18-17. The Quakers scored three of the next four points to get some separation and were within set point at 24-20. However, three attack errors got the Owls within one, then a Temple kill tied things at 24-24. Another Penn attack error gave Temple set point, which Planek staved off with a kill, and then the teams traded points to 26-26 before a pair of Owls kills leveled things at one set apiece.
 
Penn led by as many as four points early in the third set, but Temple crawled back into it and tied it up at 12-12. It was still tied, at 17-17, when the Owls reeled off three straight points and five of the next six to go up 22-18. Kills by Leak and McGregor and a service ace by DeMann got Penn within 22-21, but a pair of Quakers errors nullified things and allowed Temple to win the set.
 
Temple had the upper hand early in the fourth, but Penn was back level at 10-10 and the teams traded points through to 14-14 and were tied again at 16-16. Two Owls kills made it 18-16 and the home team kept that lead all the way up to 24-22. Facing two match points, McGregor had a kill and then an attack error by Temple tied things at 24-24. Kills by Temple's Miray Bolukbasi and McGregor got the score to 25-25, before the Owls won the last two points to earn the victory.
 
How It Happened - VILLANOVA
The trend lately has been Penn wins the first set but can't sustain it. That was the case again on Saturday afternoon.
 
The teams tied 10 times in the first set, the last time at 15-15. At that point kills by Leak and McGregor spurred a 4-1 Quakers run that gave them control. Villanova got within two points at 20-18, but Leak and Gillon kills moved the margin back to four and Penn cruised from there.
 
Penn then led by as many as four points late in the second set, including 19-15. The Cats scored five straight points after that, forcing a Penn timeout, and from there the teams traded points and were dramatically tied at 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 before kills from Nova's Riley Homer and Kathleen Johnson leveled things at one set each.
 
The third set was another back-and-forth affair, the teams tying 17 different time and changing leads seven times. Penn led 22-20 after a pair of Planek kills, and then another kill by the senior squelched a two-point Villanova run and put the Quakers up 23-22. However, at that point a Johnson kill, a service ace, and an offensive error by Penn allowed the Wildcats to escape with the set win.
 
Villanova looked like it might cruise to the win in the fourth set, leading 5-1 early and gradually extending it to 15-5. It was still a ten-point margin at 19-9 when Penn made its way back. The Quakers scored five straight point to get within 19-14, then another two-point run got them within four at 21-17. There simply weren't enough points left, however, and Villanova was able to keep Penn at bay to the finish.
 
Up Next
Penn will get into Ivy League action against travel partner Princeton. The Quakers and Tigers will play at Princeton's Dillon Gym on Friday night at 7 p.m.