They say perfection is unattainable. For Penn softball senior pitcher Kelly Zybura, it’s another day at the ballpark.
Over the weekend, the Quakers won their first Ivy League series of the season with a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth, a victory marked by the program’s third-ever perfect game. In the opening game, Zybura shut down the Big Green (3-11, 1-2 Ivy) with four strikeouts en route to an unblemished 11-0 win for the Red and Blue.
Penn (11-12, 2-1 Ivy) also won the second game of the series 9-4 before falling 14-0 in Sunday’s closer. The Red and Blue are in the midst of a resurgent season, sitting just one game below .500 after finishing with 12 wins or fewer in each of the last four campaigns.
In game one, Zybura’s gem was backed by a 2-of-4 performance at the plate from senior infielder Jade Montgomery. Montgomery, who is batting .321 on the season, also went 2-of-2 in the second game and recorded six RBIs in Penn’s two victories. The Buford, Ga. native led the Quakers in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage in 2025, but has taken another step forward in coach Christie Novatin’s improved group.
In game three, Dartmouth used an eight-run third inning to surge ahead by double digits. Neither team scored the rest of the way, though the Quakers left nine runners stranded amid a 3-of-3 performance from senior catcher Delaney Smith.
Despite their Sunday defeat, Penn’s 2-1 conference record ties them for second in the Ancient Eight after the first weekend of league play. Just a season ago, the Quakers finished the regular season with just one Ivy victory. On Saturday, they saw more conference victories than in the entirety of the 2025 season. Novatin, in the midst of her third season leading the Red and Blue, seems to have made major strides for a program seeking its first winning season since 2020.
The Quakers, who are 5-3 at home so far this year, will stay at Penn Park for next weekend’s clash with Cornell. Penn will play a Saturday double-header and a third game Sunday against a Big Red squad that’s gone 2-4 to open the Ivy slate.
