PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team completed a perfect weekend to start the Meredith Schamun coaching era, winning a riveting match with Coppin State on Saturday night to conclude the Sheraton University City Volleyball Invitational. The Quakers took a 3-1 (19-25, 25-15, 27-25, 27-25) decision over the Eagles, coming back after dropping the first set and needing extra points in the third and fourth sets.
 
Penn (3-0) opened Saturday's action with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-20) sweep of Canisius.
 
Following the tournament, junior captain Autumn Leak was named tournament MVP while freshman setter Sydney Ormiston earned a spot on the all-tournament team along with Andrea Tsvetanova and Miajavon Coleman from Coppin State, Bucknell's Allie Lopez, and Bree Long from Canisius.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Junior captain Autumn Leak once again led Penn on Saturday with 13 kills against Canisius and then a career-high 21 (.398 hitting percentage) against Coppin State. For the weekend, she had 50 kills and hit .311.
 
*Senior captain Margaret Planek—who made her first start this season against Canisius—had 12 kills in both of Saturday's matches, and also had five block assists in the nightcap.
 
*Junior Elizabeth Ford had eight kills (.471 hitting percentage) and led the Quakers with seven blocks (2S/5A) in Saturday's finale.
 
*Sophomore Madison Risch had nine kills and 15 digs against Coppin State.
 
*Senior Daniela Fornaciari led Penn with three blocks against Canisius (2S/1A) and also had eight kills against the Golden Griffins.
 
*Sophomore Caroline Douglas played the libero position on Saturday and led Penn in digs in both matches (15 vs. Canisius, 26 vs. Coppin State).
 
*Freshman Sydney Ormiston had 31 assists in both of Saturday's matches and added four service aces in the morning match against Canisius.
 
*Sophomore Emerson Flornes made her collegiate debut against Coppin State and finished with seven kills (.636 hitting percentage) and four digs.
 
MATCH 1: Penn 3, Canisius 0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20)
Playing less than 14 hours after finishing its win over Bucknell last night, Penn might have been excused for a slow start on Saturday morning. Canisius jumped on the Quakers, going up 9-4 early and expanding it to 12-5 which forced head coach Meredith Schamun to take a timeout. That did the trick, as the Red and Blue reeled off four straight points and eight of nine to draw level at 13-13. The Golden Griffins went back up by as many as four, at 20-16, but Madison Risch and Daniela Fornaciari had kills while Canisius had three attack errors for a five-point Penn run that made the score 21-20
 
The score then was tied at 21-21, 22-22 and 23-23 before a Margaret Planek kill and a Sydney Ormiston service ace iced the win.
 
Set 2 was a taut affair, the teams tying on 14 separate occasions up to 19-19. The service game came into play at that point, as a Canisius service error and another Ormiston ace sandwiched a Griffins attack error to give Penn some separation at 22-19. Canisius got back within a point at 23-22, but two more self-inflicted wounds allowed Penn to earn the 25-23 win.
 
Penn started slow again in the third set, falling behind 4-1 before scoring seven of the next eight points to regain control at 8-5. The lead ballooned to six, at 12-6, and the Quakers were able to keep Canisius at bay the rest of the way as the Golden Griffins never got closer than three points.
 
MATCH 2: Penn 3, Coppin State 1 (19-25, 25-15, 27-25, 27-25)
The Eagles used a fast start in the first set, reeling off four straight points early and eventually turning a 2-2 tie into a 15-5 lead. Penn made a run to get as close as three points on four separate occasions, but Coppin State was able to trade points with the Quakers down the stretch to earn a 25-19 victory. That seemed to awaken the Red and Blue, and they took a lead they would never relinquish early in the second set en route to a 25-15 win.
 
The third set had plenty of drama, as the teams were tied 12 different times and the lead changed six times. Penn was up 22-20, but CSU won four of the next five points and had set point. Leak made sure they would not clinch, with kills that tied the score at 24-24 and again at 25-25. Planek then gave the Quakers a 26-25 lead, and Leak culminated an incredible stretch with another kill that gave Penn the 27-25 decision.
 
The encore wasn't too shabby. Ten more ties and three more lead changes, but a similar script as the third set—Coppin State held the late lead but couldn't hold it. Down, 22-19, Penn reeled off four straight points thanks to kills from Risch, Flornes, Risch again, and then a block by Flornes and Madeline McGregor. CSU finally ended the run to tie it at 23-23, before McGregor gave the Quakers match point with a kill. That was matched by the Eagles, as was another match point which made the score 25-25. However, from there McGregor had another kill and then Leak (of course) finished the deal with her 21st kill of the night
 
Up Next
Penn is in Chicago for the DePaul Invitational next Friday and Saturday. The Quakers will face Akron and Oakland (Mich.) on Friday, before finishing with the host Blue Demons on Saturday.