NEW YORK – The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team survived an epic second set to sweep Columbia on Saturday night at Levien Gym, 3-0.
Set scores were 25-19, 34-32, 25-18. The second set was the highest-scoring in program history since college volleyball went to 25-point sets in 2008 as Penn fended off six set points to gain the victory.
Penn split an Ivy League weekend for the fourth time this season and improved to 10-7 overall, 4-4 in Ivy play. Columbia remained winless in conference play (0-7) and is 3-12 overall.
Quaker Notemeal
*Sophomore
Zada Sanger had a massive night offensively, putting down 14 kills on 25 attacks with just one error, a .520 hitting night. She also had two digs and a block assist.
*Freshman
Adell Murray might have topped Sanger; she had 13 kills on 19 attacks without an error, a .684 night, and added a service ace and a block assist.
*Freshman
Ellie Siskin had her fourth straight match with a double-figure kill total, with 10, and also recorded eight digs, three service aces and a block assist.
*Freshman setter
Emery Moore had 32 assists on the night (10.66 a/s), put down five kills on 10 attacks without an error (.500), and added nine digs, three service aces, and a block solo.
*Freshman
Jenniya Lane also hit .500 (3K-0E-6A) and finished with match-high four blocks (1s/3a).
*Columbia got 15 kills each from Hailee Watts and Amanda Holsen.
How It Happened
Penn and Columbia were tied at 3-3 and 4-4 in Saturday's first set, but a Murray kill was the start of a four-point Quakers run that put them in front to stay. Another three-point run pushed the advantage to five, at 12-7, and at 16-12 the Red and Blue sandwiched a pair of Siskin kills around two Lions attack errors to make the score 20-12. The lead plateaued at nine (23-14) en route to the 25-19 finish. Siskin had six kills and hit .500 in the set, while Sanger and Murray had three each (Murray hitting .750, Sanger .600).
The second set was a wild affair. Columbia ripped out to a 10-5 lead, forcing a Penn timeout. It was still 13-9 Lions when the Quakers got going, a Murray kill setting the table for a 10-1 run that was highlighted by three Moore aces as part of a six-point run to push Penn in front, 19-14. Columbia refused to roll over, however, scoring six of seven points to turn a 20-15 deficit into a 21-21 tie. The Lions committed a service error but came back with kills by Watts and Holsen around a Penn attack error to get two set points. Siskin got one of them back on a kill, then served up an ace to tie things at 24-24.
We were just getting started. A Holsen kill gave Columbia a third set point, but a service error tied things at 25-25. Sanger and Holsen traded kills to 26-26, then did so again to 27-27. Sanger and Lane blocked a Columbia attack to give Penn its third set point, but Holsen killed again to tie things at 28-28. A bad set by Penn gave Columbia its fourth set point but another service error leveled things at 29-29. Moore made it 30-29, only for Watts to put down two straight points to give the Lions their fifth set point. Murray tied it at 31-31, then Siskin matched a Watts kills to fend off a sixth set point and tie things at 32-32. Murray then put down a pair of kills—her fifth and sixth of the set, on nine attacks (.667)—to finally end the highest-scoring set in program history since 2007. Sanger had seven kills, hitting .538.
The third set was tight until late. A Murray kill tied things at 9-9 and was the start of a three-point run that gave Penn a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Columbia got as close as one twice, at 14-13 and 15-14, but kills by Sanger and
Feyi Ogunlari sandwiched a block by Lane and Ogunlari to push Penn's lead to 18-14. The Lions got within two at 19-17, but a service error took the wind out of their sails and the Quakers took advantage with four straight points on the way to the 25-18 victory. Murray and Sanger had four kills each, Murray hitting .667 and Sanger .429, while Moore put down three kills on five attacks (.600).
Up Next
The Quakers will be off next weekend and return to action November 1 at Brown; they will follow that up with a match at Yale the next night.
For the latest on Penn volleyball, follow @PennVolleyball on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.
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