Penn volleyball faced a tough battle against Princeton, ultimately falling 3-1 in a thrilling match that showcased back-and-forth action, impressive plays, and key performances from both teams.
Early on, Princeton (3-8, 1-1) took a 6-2 lead with four consecutive kills. Still, Penn (7-4, 1-1 Ivy) responded with a strong showing from sophomore outside hitter Zada Sanger, who made an immediate impact after being subbed in. Sanger scored twice in quick succession, forcing Princeton to call a timeout.
Penn held onto a 17-13 lead, but Princeton rallied, narrowing the gap to 21-20. As the set tightened, both teams exchanged points until Penn called a timeout with the score at 22-23. Despite Princeton’s push, Penn pulled through in the final moments, securing the set 26-24.
In the second set, Penn initially built a 9-6 lead with strong offensive contributions from Sanger and sophomore right-side hitter Bella Rittenberg. However, Princeton’s libero, Ella Bunde, made several critical saves, allowing the Tigers to even the score at 9-9. Sanger and Rittenberg continued to deliver kills, but a string of attack errors by Penn and kills from Princeton’s Kamryn Chaney allowed Princeton to gain momentum. At 22-22, the set was up for grabs, but Princeton managed to close it out, handing Penn a 25-23 loss.
Penn began the third set with early momentum, leading 4-2 after a kill from Sanger, but Princeton quickly turned the tide, building a substantial lead. Penn fought back, with key plays from Sanger and freshman outside hitter Ellie Siskin bringing them within striking distance, but Princeton’s defense held firm, securing the set 25-21.
In the fourth set, Princeton dominated, winning 25-12. The Tigers came out strong, quickly establishing an 8-3 lead. Penn struggled to break through Princeton’s solid defense, particularly the blocking efforts of Lucia Scalamandre, who was instrumental in shutting down Penn’s attack. Despite timeouts and kills from freshman middle blocker Adell Murray, Princeton’s lead continued to grow. With decisive blocking and powerful hitting, Princeton sealed the set and the match 25-12.
Despite the loss, Penn took solace in their Friday victory over the Tigers, which snapped a 15-match losing streak.
“I'm really proud of us this week. We did something we haven’t done in a long time. Beating Princeton is hard, beating Princeton at Princeton is very hard. I'm really proud of the fight we had in their gym, obviously today didn't go our way but that's a really veteran team that I thought rebounded really well,” coach Meredith Schamun said.
Penn will take on Yale next Friday at 7 p.m. at the Palestra in their upcoming Ivy League matchup.
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