Penn volleyball notches 3-1 win over Rhode Island

Penn women’s volleyball engaged in a thrilling match against the University of Rhode Island, filled with intense rallies and standout performances, ultimately resulting in a 3-1 victory for the Quakers.

The match began with Penn (6-3) showing strong defensive intensity, but that didn’t stop Rhode Island (5-8) from quickly taking the first point. Freshman middle blocker Adell Murray leveled the score at 1-1, and Penn jumped to a 3-1 lead through smart defensive moves. 

Sophomore outside hitter Zada Sanger’s solid strike maintained Penn’s lead at 5-3, but the Rams responded, tying the score at 6-6 thanks to strong serves by middle blocker Havyn Rolle. Rhode Island began to pull ahead, reaching 10-8 despite Penn’s best efforts, forcing the Quakers to call a timeout. Penn briefly rallied after the break with a powerful kill by freshman outside hitter Ellie Siskin, but Rhode Island's offense stayed strong to win the first set 25-20.

“We’ve been working a lot in practice on being gritty and keeping the ball off the floor," freshman Emery Moore said. "All of us try to have a goldfish mindset and lift each other up."

The "goldfish mindset," as Moore put it, refers to having a short memory and continually moving on to the next point. The Quakers displayed it in the second set, coming out with renewed energy and surging to a 6-1 lead with Sanger and Murray dominating early on. The Rams fought back, closing the gap to 10-8, but Penn’s coordination improved, highlighted by sophomore Bella Rittenberg’s strike that extended the lead to 16-10. Penn held its ground throughout the set, winning 25-21 to tie the match at 1-1.

Rhode Island took control early in the third set, but Penn capitalized on a series of errors to gain momentum. Although the Ram’s offense stayed aggressive, Penn’s defense, led by its front line, was up to the task. The Quakers regained their rhythm, with strong serves and consistent attacks pushing them ahead 19-14. Rhode Island’s accuracy faltered, and Penn took full advantage, closing the set with a 25-16 victory, going up 2-1 in the match.

The final set was the most intense, with Penn jumping to a 3-0 lead behind excellent kills from Moore and Murray. Rhode Island battled back, narrowing the gap to 7-6, but Penn’s offense remained potent. 

“I was doing my best to think as little as possible and just trust my training, stay confident, be smart, and look and see what they’re giving me,” Sanger said.

Despite a valiant effort from Rhode Island, Penn maintained their advantage, extending its lead to 17-12. Rhode Island closed the gap to 22-20, but critical errors, including a serve into the net, gave Penn the upper hand. 

With the match on the line, Penn held a 24-21 lead, but Rhode Island clawed back to 24-23, forcing Penn to take a timeout. After a tense exchange, Sanger delivered a decisive kill, and Penn sealed the final set 25-24 with a powerful strike from Moore, giving the team a 3-1 win. 

“We’re learning something about ourselves every single game,” coach Meredith Schamun said. “Whether we win or lose, it’s giving us things that we’re working on every week in practice that are showing up in the next game. We didn’t play perfectly against NJIT and knew we had some things to fix, and those things got way better today, so I’m proud of us.”

Penn will be looking to maintain its momentum as it faces Princeton on Sept. 27 in Princeton, NJ for its Ivy League opener.