Women's Volleyball | September 01, 2026

Celebrate the entire Class XIV at the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner on Friday, September 25. Tickets are still available. Click here to register and learn more. 

ON THE PLAQUE: A two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-Ivy selection, she established herself as one of the greatest defensive players in program history. One of just three players in Penn history to earn multiple AVCA All-Region honors, she graduated second all-time with 1,764 career digs and fourth with 159 service aces. Her 617 digs as a junior remain the program's single-season record, while her 579 digs as a sophomore still rank third all-time. She led the nation in digs per set in 2012 and finished among the national leaders in three consecutive seasons, while also leading the Ivy League in digs per set as a sophomore, junior and senior. Her name is scattered throughout the Penn record book, holding four of the top five and five of the top six single-match dig performances in program history. A three-time Team MVP, she helped lead Penn to the 2010 Ivy League Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  

By Joe Juliano

Growing up in southern California, Dani Shepherd Posey C'14 was introduced to volleyball in the third grade at St. Paul the Apostle Elementary School. She played a number of sports growing up, including soccer and softball, but it was volleyball that provided the incentive for her superb career in athletics.

"I chose volleyball because I loved the game and it was more fun to play a sport that many of my friends were playing at the time," she said. "Though my parents didn't play volleyball, they certainly were my biggest cheerleaders along the way and my little sister eventually played as well."

She moved on in the fifth grade playing for a club team called Sunshine and eventually to Marymount High School in Los Angeles, which she described as "a competitive volleyball school."

Beginning with her sophomore year, she started looking into camps and colleges. She took visits to schools such as Virginia, Michigan and South Carolina. But it was the trip to Penn, clear across the country from L.A., that attracted her interest the most.

"When I had my visit, it just felt like the right fit," she said. "The volleyball team was a huge part of that. Everyone was very welcoming and I could see myself getting along them. I also loved the charm of the campus and ultimately I wanted to go somewhere where I could prioritize both academics and athletics."

It was the beginning of what would become a celebrated volleyball career with the Quakers. Shepherd was a member of the 2010 Ivy League championship team as a freshman. She earned All-Ivy honors three times and was a two-time IvyLeague Defensive Player of the Year. She rewrote the program's record book, her most notable mark being digs per set (6.56) as a junior, leading NCAA Division I. For her career, she finished second all-time in digs at Penn with 1,764.

"It was an incredible honor to represent the program," she said. "While it was really special to receive those accolades, they were a reflection of our entire team, giving it our all at every game, practice and workout."

A member of Class XIV of the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame that will be inducted on Sept. 25, Shepherd was recognized by former coach Kerry Carr as "a really special player to me and to the team."

"I think that her patience and kind of learning the system and everything coming in and doing whatever she could for the team made her such a better leader," Carr said. "She ended up taking the starting role, which then led her to be captain of the team her senior year.

"Watching her growth and watching her humility and patience and perseverance through a tough position and coming in being a star at her high school and waiting her time and putting in the work, I think, is a testament to her character and her upbringing with her family."

"On the court, off the court, everybody liked her. She was one of those people that kind of played a mom role to a lot of the incoming people and made sure they were all settled and knew what to do and when to do it. Academically, she was a superstar as well. She kept up her grades and excelled at the same time with a grueling athletic schedule. That's really hard to do at an Ivy League school."

Shepherd said Carr "really allowed us to be student-athletes, and not the other way around. She showed she cared about our lives beyond the games. So that made it easier to balance."

Shepherd also was a strong leader, especially playing from the libero position at the back of the court.

"I did my best to be quite vocal, especially encouraging teammates in the front row to see opportunities, like where certain parts of the court were open," she said. "Volleyball is an emotional sport, so constant communication is key to shaking off lost points and driving positive momentum."

Kristen Etterbeek C'14, a teammate for all four seasons at Penn, said Shepherd was "such a special player."

"She made difficult plays and difficult digs just look routine and she brought an incredible energy and consistency to every single match," she said. "She had this amazing ability to read the game. She brought not only her talent to the court but really a calm presence and gave us all a lot of confidence on the court to be working as her teammates.

"She was the kind of leader that every player hopes to have on your team. She was supportive, she was selfless and she was willing to play whatever role the team needed. Beyond volleyball she was such a wonderful friend. She definitely led by example and paved the way for our team to have a ton of success."

Shepherd admitted that she had not put on a pair of knee pads since her last game indoors. She has been more interested in playing beach volleyball, a sport she's been able to play in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, her current home. She said playing pickup and tournaments at the Jonathan Club – a beach club in Los Angeles – has been the most fun.

Shepherd was notified of the invitation for induction into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame by current women's volleyball coach Tyler Hagstrom. She then immediately called her father.

"He and my mom were always there for me and went to many games throughout my four years," she said. "Now as a parent myself, I know how much they sacrificed to allow me to play college volleyball and support me along the way.

"The second call was to my husband (Zach Posey). A college athlete himself, playing football at Colgate, he was especially proud. It's been really fun to share this accomplishment with my family."

Earning her plaque to the Hall of Fame is a distinction she will cherish, a name to be included with other honored Penn athletes for generations to come.

"Volleyball's meant so much to me because it's taught me resilience, brought me a lot of joy over the years, and connected me with lifelong friends," she said. "One day, I hope to introduce the game to my daughter and get to see her play."