Penn volleyball snaps 15-game losing streak with win over Princeton

The odds were stacked against Penn volleyball on Friday night. A 15-match losing streak against Princeton predicted another loss, and the Tigers, in the midst of their own seven-game losing streak this season, were desperate for a win in the Ivy opener. But ultimately, it was Penn that triumphed, breaking through the net and rewriting history.

Penn (7-3, 1-0 Ivy) kicked off the match with a rough start. The first set began with an 8-2 lead for Princeton (2-8, 0-1 Ivy) with strong attacks from Tigers outside hitter Kamryn Chaney that left Penn fumbling for the ball. 

After a timeout was called by Penn, Princeton outside hitter Shelby Fulton committed a net violation —​​ allowing the Quakers to disrupt Princeton’s five-point streak. Shortly after, the Tigers committed another net violation, bringing the score to 8-4.

But Princeton’s mistakes didn’t stop them from extending their lead against Penn. With Chaney and Princeton middle blocker Lucia Scalamandre totaling ten kills at 18-9, Penn had no choice but to call a second timeout in the first set of the game. The Quakers had a brief resurgence in scoring with a powerful swing from sophomore outside hitter Zada Sanger and an ace from sophomore libero Elsa McDermott, and with a fault from Princeton for stepping over the net, the Quakers showed signs of a comeback. 

However, Princeton quickly crushed any hope of a Penn victory with a speedy spike from Chaney. From then on, Princeton maintained its lead and demonstrated strong offense and defense, beating Penn in the first set with a score of 25-17.

The pressure was on for Penn, and the second set showcased the Quakers’ ability to regain composure in times of pressure. Penn set the tone for the remainder of the set by scoring the first point of the set. With solid play from both sides, the score inched along slowly like a ruthless tug-of-war where neither side was willing to let the other take the lead — but it was Penn that triumphed as the victor. 

Freshman outside hitter Ellie Siskin dominated the first half of the second set with six kills, proving herself a dependable player. Though Princeton retaliated with several kills of their own and successful blocks from defenders, it wasn’t enough to crush Penn’s momentum. Penn’s momentum was especially apparent in longer rallies, where they were able to build energy off keeping the ball in play and wear out Princeton’s stamina. Siskin added three more kills, but it was Sanger who finished the job, scoring three kills in the very last moments of the set to leave Princeton in the dust.

Penn started the third set on fire with three aces in a row from freshman right-side hitter Jenniya Lane to give Penn the 5-1 advantage. Lane finished the match with five service aces and five blocks. Penn’s stellar serve receive-and-defense also paved the way to engage offensive weapons like freshman middle blocker Adell Murray. Murray, who hit .500, put up solid numbers against the Tigers totaling nine kills and three blocks. 

One of the key factors for Penn’s success was their tough service pressure. The Quakers were able to notch a total of 12 service aces with four service errors, compared to Princeton’s six service aces and eight service errors. Sophomore right-side hitter Bella Rittenberg ultimately gave the dagger to the Tigers in the third, closing out the set with a big kill on the right side.

Though the Red and Blue trailed early on in the first set, excellent performances from both outside hitters were ultimately too much for Princeton to handle. Siskin came up big for the Quakers tallying 15 kills on a .297 hitting percentage. Sanger also came up big for Penn notching 14 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Penn won the set 25-21 and the match 3-1, marking its first win over Princeton since 2015.