The road has not been kind to Penn volleyball.
The Quakers fell to Columbia in five sets, 25-22, 11-25, 25-20, 23-25, 7-15. Penn (6-7, 0-2 Ivy) played tough throughout the match, but lapses in the final two sets doomed its chances.
The loss gave the Quakers a 1-4 record on the road, including two straight to start Ivy League play.
The Red and Blue were led by seniors Kristen Etterbeek (10 kills) and Dani Shepherd (27 digs), as well as sophomore Ronnie Bither (20 assists). The team managed a lowly .127 hitting percentage and suffered through a second set that saw them commit 6 more errors than kills.
Alexis Genske, who had filled in at libero earlier this season, continued her strong defensive performance with 15 digs. The Quakers also saw a resurgence in their serving game, with 9 aces as a team.
The Lions (3-8, 1-1) snapped a three game losing streak with their win tonight. Columbia has been in the midst of their worst season in recent memory, with only one less fewer this year than the squad had all of last season.
Columbia was led by sophomore Bailey Springer (15 kills) and senior Colleen Brennan (34 assists). The Lions’ success was due largely to their consistency, as they managed hitting percentages of .268 or higher in four of the five sets, a mark that Penn only hit once during the match.
Meanwhile, Penn continues its New York road trip with a stop at Cornell (5-6, 2-0). Cornell defeated Princeton today in four sets and should pose another tough challenge for the Red and Blue.
The Quakers will have an opportunity for redemption on November 2nd as Columbia visits the Palestra.
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