The University of Pennsylvania women’s volleyball team is set to begin its Ivy League schedule on Friday night, hosting Princeton at The Palestra. Penn concluded the non-conference portion of its season with a 6-4 record and was ranked fifth in the Ivy League’s preseason media poll. The Quakers received 58 points in the poll, trailing Yale, Princeton, Brown, and Cornell.
Friday’s match marks the start of league play for both teams. Last year, Penn managed a 3-1 victory over Princeton at Old Nassau—its first win against the Tigers since 2015—before falling to them in Philadelphia a day later. Penn’s last home win against Princeton came in 2013.
Penn has found recent success on the court, winning three matches last week by 3-0 scores before dropping a five-set match to Temple. All six of Penn’s victories this season have come via sweeps. Junior Zada Sanger was named Ivy League Player of the Week after recording 26 kills and a .523 hitting percentage at the University of Delaware Invitational, earning her Tournament MVP honors. She followed up with an 18-kill performance against Temple and currently leads Penn while ranking second among Ivy players with an average of 3.44 kills per set.
Junior Bella Rittenberg also earned all-tournament honors at Delaware with notable contributions in kills and digs. Freshman Addison Pollock stands out nationally as she ranks sixth in digs per set (5.31) and leads all first-year players except two across Division I.
Statistically, Penn leads the nation in digs per set (18.57), is sixth in assists per set (13.74), and seventh in kills per set (14.63). Within the Ivy League, they lead in kills, assists, and digs per set while holding second place behind Princeton in hitting percentage.
This season marks Tyler Hagstrom’s debut as head coach after his July appointment following Meredith Schamun’s departure for Illinois. Hagstrom previously coached Bucknell for five years, setting a program record for wins last season and leaving as their all-time leader in win percentage.
Several underclassmen are contributing significantly; only one senior has played more than half of Penn’s sets so far this season. Sophomore Jenna Garner has recorded multiple double-doubles while Sanger continues her strong offensive output from previous seasons.
Returning players make up nearly all statistical categories from last year’s roster: more than 98 percent of kills and service aces return along with most blocks and digs.
Penn finished last year with a marked improvement under Schamun at 13-10 overall (7-7 Ivy), tripling their win totals from two seasons prior.
Team captains this year are Anna Shohfi and Lauren Van Wie.
For further updates on Penn volleyball, fans can follow @PennVolleyball on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or visit their official website at https://pennathletics.com/.
