Coming off a tough finish with two losses over three matches last weekend at the Towson-Coppin State Invitational, Penn volleyball geared back up for three high-level matches against NJIT, as well as against Delaware and Saint Peter's at the Delaware Invitational. The Red and Blue ultimately swept all three teams, winning nine-straight sets over the three matches and setting them up strongly ahead of Ivy play.
One player who has come up big for the Quakers in the last three matches is senior setter Anna Shohfi.
As a leader and fierce competitor, Shohfi was a key contributor across Penn’s three wins. When asked about substitutions and shuffling around the starting lineup, Shohfi spoke highly of the talent across the roster.
“[Coach Tyler Hagstrom] has really pushed us to be ready at any moment. We have so many talented, diverse utility players that could all see the court. Especially with running a new offense, having all pieces of our game ready to go has helped us not get complacent," Shohfi said. "Ultimately I think that’s going to help us get ready for [Ivy] League play, where we don’t really know what each game will demand.”
Something new that fans of Penn volleyball might notice is the use of a new offensive rotation. The new system utilizes two setters who remain in the back row, ensuring a team always has three front-row hitters. Additionally, the system ensured that the Red and Blue put a bigger blocking presence forward — a point of weakness that the Quakers have adjusted to since last weekend’s losses in Maryland.
Shohfi, along with sophomore setter Emery Moore, took the reins of Penn’s offense and helped maintain consistency. Shohfi’s performance this weekend was impressive. She tallied 15 assists and seven digs against NJIT, 13 assists and three digs against Saint Peter's, and 22 assists and three digs against Delaware.
Moore connected with her hitters to tally 21 assists and five digs against Delaware, 23 assists and 10 digs against NJIT, and 24 assists and four digs against Saint Peter's. To Shohfi, adversity and high expectations followed naturally.
“On the back of our shirts last year, we had the phrase ‘pressure is a privilege.’ … I think that whenever we get wrapped up in the pressure, I remind myself that it’s a privilege to be here and get the chance to be playing with my best friends," Shohfi said. "I don’t feel any [pressure] from my teammates … we just have high expectations which I think we should all have.”
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It’s also important to highlight Penn’s stellar pin hitters who’ve adjusted well to the change in lineups and the use of the new 6-2 system.
Junior right-sided hitter Bella Rittenberg and junior outside hitter Zada Sanger, as well as sophomore outside hitters Jenna Garner and Ellie Siskin all had fantastic matches this weekend and kept Penn’s hitting percentage positive all three games. The Quakers hit a season-high 0.375 in the matchup against Delaware.
“We have a new coach and he has a different perspective on how the game should be played. … During last week’s tournament, we saw a shift and saw that we wanted to be more offensive and have more hitters and a bigger block … The switch came kind of naturally,” Garner said.
Against Delaware, Rittenberg rose to the occasion and went for a season-high 12 kills in a dominant performance. Additionally, Sanger helped the Quakers secure the win against the Hens, totaling 11 kills and six digs.
Penn’s middle also played a pivotal role in contributing to that win — sophomore middle blocker Adell Murray had seven kills on 15 swings, notching a cool 0.333 hitting percentage that night. Sanger was named Delaware International MVP and Rittenberg notched an all-tournament honor.
Ultimately, the Quakers displayed tranquility and consistency this weekend, something that they’re looking to carry into the rest of the season.
If there’s one thing to take away from this weekend’s three matches, it's that Penn volleyball is not to be overlooked.
The competitive drive motivating all of the players, the connections between setters and hitters, and everyone’s willingness to contribute to a goal greater than their individual stat lines have made for a program that is functioning like a well-oiled machine at an elite level.
Penn volleyball will lace up next against cross-town rival Temple on Sept. 23 and will then face Princeton on Friday, Sept. 26 in its Ivy opener at home in the Palestra.
