Penn volleyball comes up short in three matches at Mountaineer Classic

Penn volleyball came up short this weekend.

In three non-conference matches at the Mountaineer Classic in Morgantown, West Virginia, the Quakers could not seem to find a way to win, falling against Morehead State, Wake Forest, and host West Virginia. 

On Friday, the Red and Blue (3–8) went up against Morehead State (9–4). The Eagles won 3–0, but the Quakers kept the match close in every set. The first set was 25–23, the second was 25–20, and the third was 25–17.

Despite the close loss, several Penn players stepped up and performed notably in the Friday morning matinee. Sophomore Parker Jones, who is also a staffer for The Daily Pennsylvanian, notched nine kills, while sophomore Raven Sulaimon finished with seven kills. Freshman Daniela Fornaciari also kept up her good work behind the net, leading the team with three blocks.

The Quakers had little time to rest before their next match against Wake Forest (4–6) just a few hours later. Penn was able to win one set against the Atlantic Coast Conference team, but still lost the match 3–1. Again, despite the loss, the Quakers had multiple players exhibit strong performances. Jones held her own once again, recording twelve kills for the Quakers. Freshman Kylie Kulinski also impressed, notching 33 assists.

The Quakers were back on the court Saturday morning against the Mountaineers (7–5) on their home floor. West Virginia dominated the first two sets, winning 25–14 and 25–17, but the Quakers kept it close in the third set, losing by just four points. Sulaimon led the team in kills, recording 10. Kulinski had 29 assists. Junior Caroline Furrer hustled for 14 digs.

While this weekend was not Penn’s best showing, it was a good way to prepare against highly-skilled teams for the start of Ivy play. The Red and Blue will host rival Princeton on the Palestra floor this Friday night.