PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's head women's volleyball coach, Meredith Schamun, has announced her program's Class of 2026 recruiting class. Claire Deller, Feyi Ogunlari, Abigail Reid, Anna Shohfi and Jalen Tennyson will join the program next fall as freshmen.
 
"This class has been waiting for a long time and we are excited to announce them to the Penn community," said Schamun, who was hired in March 2020 and recently coached her first season this past fall. "I am thrilled to welcome this group of women into the Penn Volleyball family; they possess an abundance of passion, talent, and potential and the future is bright!"
 
CLAIRE DELLER
6-1 | Outside Hitter
Del Mar, Calif. | Torrey Pines
High School: Lettered in volleyball under head coach Brennan Dean … Helped Torrey Pines to the 2019 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship, Southern California Regional championship, and California state Championship … 2021 Durango Classic All-Tournament Team … 2021 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Honorable Mention and All-America Regional … Played her club volleyball for Wave Volleyball Club … Team finished second nationally in 2021 … National Honor Society member … Girl Scout Gold, Silver, Bronze Award recipient.
 
Personal: Daughter of Becky and Eric Deller … Older brother, Ethan, plays club lacrosse at Cal-Berkeley … Will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "I chose Penn because of its perfect balance of academic and athletic rigor. Not only is it in the coolest city in the country, but it also is filled with rich history which I can't wait to explore, especially coming from San Diego."
 
Coach Schamun on Claire: "Claire brings a ton of strength to our middle offense, especially behind the setter. She plays with a lot of energy and works hard at the net. I'm excited to add her skill set to our front line."
 
 
 
FEYI OGUNLARI
5-10 | Outside Hitter
Heath, Texas | Rockwall
High School: Three-time letter winner in volleyball under head coach Travis Ferguson … Finished her career third in program history in career kills … Helped Rockwall to area championships from 2019-21 … Two-time first-team all-district … Club team was Madfrog … 2019 USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships (GJNC) national champion … Also ran track at Rockwall … National Honor Society member … Mu Alpha Theta member … Health Occupational Students of America member … Rockwall Independent School District (RISD) Superintendent Scholar.
 
Personal: Daughter of Anu and Fola Ogunlari … Older sister, Bomi, plays volleyball at Dartmouth … Older brother, Shola, played college football at Eastern Kentucky University … Will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "Penn feels like my home away from home. When I first met the Penn volleyball team and my fellow commits, they welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like I belonged there. Penn also has a city vibe while offering the perfect academic and athletic balance."
 
Coach Schamun on Feyi: "When we saw Feyi play, we were impressed with her ability to swing on both pins. Her strength as an attacker will give us good versatility in the front row."
 
 
ABIGAIL REID
5-8 | Libero
Clarendon Hills, Ill. | Nazareth Academy
High School: Lettered in volleyball and basketball at Nazareth … Played her club volleyball with Adversity Volleyball Club the last three years … National Honor Society member … Honor Roll student.
 
Personal: Daughter of Linda and Ed Reid … Father was a linebacker for the Penn football team from 1987-89 and a member of the Quakers' 1988 Ivy championship squad … Older brother, Connor, plays college football at Butler … Will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "I chose Penn because it meets both my academic and athletic goals. I love the program that Coach Schamun is building, and I can't wait to be a part of her program and contribute to the culture."
 
Coach Schamun on Abigail: "Abigail has proven herself to be a strong defensive player and passer at the club level. Her strength is in her simplicity, and we are excited to add her stability to our libero group!"
 
 
ANNA SHOHFI
5-10 | Setter
Chapel Hill, N.C. | East Chapel Hill
High School: Lettered four times in volleyball under head coach Rachel Kline … 2020-21 North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association (NCVBCA) 3A All-State and All-Region … Three-time DAC-VII All-Conference … Played three years with Chapel Hill Area Volleyball Club and four with Triangle Volleyball Club … 2020 Ultra Ankle Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) Watch List … 2021 Ultra Ankle JVA Watch List … 2020 AVCA Phenom Watch List … AP Scholar with Honor … French Honor Society member … Eastside Club Leader.
 
Personal: Daughter of Dawn and Tim Shohfi … Mother was a collegiate diver at the U.S. Air Force Academy … Will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "I chose Penn because it not only offers the perfect balance between athletics and academics, but I also felt the coaches and team made Penn feel like home as soon as I stepped on campus."
 
Coach Schamun on Anna: "Anna has proven herself to be strong in every area of the game. While she has the ability to hit, we are excited for her to help run an offense in our gym. As a setter, she displays a rare strength on defense and an even-keeled style of court management."
 
 
JALEN TENNYSON
6-2 | Outside Hitter
Los Angeles, Calif. | Marlborough School
High School: 2020 AVCA Phenom Watch List … Played club with Los Angeles Volleyball Academy (LAVA), 2018-2019; Sunshine Volleyball Club, 2019-2021; Mizuno Long Beach Volleyball Club, 2021-2022 … Sunshine team (17 Westside) won 2021 USA Volleyball 17 American national championship … 2021 AVCA All-America Watch List … Also competed in track & field at Marlborough … 2019 CIF finalist in triple jump, shot put and long jump and earned Coach's Award … 2019 recipient of Marlborough School's Emerging Leader Award … 2021 Yale Book Award recipient … Marlborough School Violet Key Board Leader … Marlborough School African American Cultural Exchange … Marlborough School New Student Inclusion Committee President.
 
Personal: Daughter of Janet and Stacey Tennyson … Will enroll in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn: "I chose Penn because of the diverse student body, the vibrant student life, and the various opportunities to find enrichment both academically and culturally on campus. I knew that becoming a student-athlete at Penn would help me develop beyond the volleyball court, and that my athleticism would be challenged and elevated to help me pursue the best version of myself. Lastly, I chose Penn because I wanted to join a campus that was filled with passionate students, who are dedicated to bettering themselves and their surrounding communities."
 
Coach Schamun on Jalen: "Jalen has huge potential as an attacker and blocker. She has great lateral speed and will be a force at the net for us both on offense and defense."