PRINCETON, N.J. – The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team opened its Ivy League campaign in style on Friday night, making the short trip North to Princeton and knocking off the Tigers, 3-1. After losing the first set, the Quakers roared to wins in the next three in taking their first win over Princeton since 2015.
Set scores were 17-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-21.
Penn has now won three in a row and five of its last six in improving to 7-3 overall. Princeton fell to 2-8 in a match that was the Ivy opener for both clubs.
Quaker Notemeal
*Penn hit .310 on the night, its fifth time hitting .300 or better in a match this season.
*The Quakers also served up a season-high 12 aces and tied a season best with four block solos.
*Freshman
Ellie Siskin had a strong night on attack, putting down 15 kills—her season high and tops in the match—and hitting .297 on the night. She also had 14 digs, for her second double-double in the last three matches, and four service aces (all of them coming in the final set).
*Sophomore
Zada Sanger had 14 kills, hitting .333 (14K-3E-33A), and added five digs and a block solo.
*Freshman
Jenniya Lane was again a revelation on the front line, with five blocks (3s/2a) and two kills. It was on serve where she really shone, however, with five aces.
*Freshman
Adell Murray had nine kills without an error, hitting .500 on the night, and took part in three block assists.
*Sophomore
Bella Rittenberg had eight kills, a team-leading 15 digs, and two block assists on Friday.
*Freshman setter
Emery Moore had 44 assists, put down four kills on 12 attempts without an error (.333), and added seven digs and two block assists.
*Princeton got double-doubles from Kamryn Chaney (14 kills/10 digs) and Valerie Nutakor (10 kills/11 digs) while Lucia Scalamandre had 13 kills, four block assists and four digs.
How It Happened
Princeton had won the last 15 meetings between these two programs entering Friday night's match, and it seemed form might hold through the first set. The Tigers ripped out to an 8-2 lead early, forcing a Penn timeout, and never looked back. The lead crested at nine, 18-9—bringing about another Quakers timeout—and while Penn rebounded with five of the next six points to get within five at 19-14 that was about it as the Tigers rolled, 25-17. Sanger had four kills on nine attacks in the set, hitting .444.
Penn unleashed Siskin in the second set, and the freshman responded: nine kills without an error on 15 attacks, a staggering .600 hitting game. Two of them followed a Rittenberg kill that turned a 10-9 Princeton lead into a 12-10 Quakers advantage, and that lead held the rest of the way. Siskin would put down two more kills as part of what was a 7-2 run that got the lead to four, at 16-12, and then Murray and Sanger had kills to bookend a four-point run that made the score 21-14. Penn cruised from there. Murray had three kills on five attacks, hitting .600, while Sanger had three kills and Lane had two block solos.
Penn kept the momentum into the third set, going up 8-3 early and causing a Princeton timeout. The Tigers came out of the stoppage to get the next two points, only for Murray to sandwich kills around Sanger and Moore kills for a four-point run that made the score 12-5. Princeton got back within two twice, at 13-11 and 14-12, but kills by Sanger and Siskin were followed by a block from Rittenberg and Lane to make it 17-12. Another three-point run extended the lead to seven late, at 22-15, and Rittenberg ended the set with a kill. Murray and Sanger were the difference makers in this set, Murray hiting .714 (5K-0E-7A) and Sanger hitting .333 (4K-1E-9A).
This thing looked like it was heading to a fifth when Princeton ran off three straight points to turn a tie set into a 12-9 lead. Penn took timeout then won the first point out of the break, but the Tigers scored three of the next four to go in front 15-11. A Rittenberg kill brought the Quakers back to life, though, and they won four points in a row with two coming off Lane aces. The teams split the next four points, to 17-17, but then Siskin put down a kill and, after a Princeton attack error, served up three aces in a row around a Tigers timeout. That gave Penn a 22-17 lead, and the Red and Blue never let Princeton get closer than three the rest of the way. Rittenberg had four kills in the set, while Sanger and Siskin had three each and the freshman served up four aces.
Up Next
These two teams will be back at it tomorrow evening, this time at The Palestra. First serve is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (A slight change from the original schedule which had this match at 5.)
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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