For a defensive-minded team like Penn volleyball, the Quakers’ offensive fireworks this year has been uncharacteristic.

When freshman Arielle Winfield goes for a kill on the volleyball court, she hits the ball hard. Just like her dad.

Playing in her first game in since Sept. 10 after suffering a concussion, senior captain Dani Shepherd enjoyed a productive return to the court, contributing 20 digs to help lift the Quakers (6-6) to a four-set victory over the woeful Explorers (1-19).

The match Friday against rival Princeton (4-6) is a great opportunity for a fresh start for the team. After facing the likes of Villanova, Maryland and American, most of the competition in the Ivy League will be on par with the Quakers.

Going into the weekend with a 3-4 record after two straight five-set match victories, the Red and Blue headed up the mainline to take part in the Villanova University Tournament, going 2-1 in the process.

The Quakers (3-4) will travel to Villanova Friday afternoon for the start of the Villanova Classic, looking to build off of the momentum of not one, but two five-set comeback victories on Sunday against both Temple and Weber State.

The women’s volleyball team needed to use its annual Crowne Plaza Philadelphia West Penn Invitational to get back on track after a rough start to the 2013 season. After a 2-1 weekend with multiple five-set wins, the Quakers are definitely on the right path.

Penn volleyball begins their weekend tournament at the Palestra right when Yom Kippur ends at sundown on Saturday, looking to build off the momentum of a five-set comeback victory on Tuesday against Delaware.

Rallying from behind two sets to none and closing the deficit in a fifth-set tie break to 13 all, Penn ultimately pulled out the victory, winning, 3-2.

Though the Quakers (0-3) dropped all three of its matches at the University of Maryland Invitational this weekend, several spurts of strong play from both the overall team, as well as on an individual level, helped the team hold its own.

The Penn women’s volleyball team dropped its season opener on Friday night, falling to LIU Brooklyn in a back-and-forth five set match, 3-2.

Finishing 13-12 overall and fourth in the Ivy League, there were definite improvements over the 5th place finish in 2011 for Penn volleyball, but there’s a sense that something was left on the table.

The last time the teams faced off, the Red and Blue swept both opponents. This time around, Penn (13-12, 8-6 Ivy) lost to both Columbia (13-9, 8-5) on Friday and Cornell (9-16, 5-9) on Saturday.

As Penn hits the road for a back-to-back in the Empire State, a chance for second place and just one loss in the second half of Ivy play hangs in the balance.

Over a weekend that eventually determined the outcome of the Ivy League title a week prior to the end of the season, the Quakers battled first-place Yale and seventh-place Brown.

Fresh off a weekend of two sweeping Ivy victories against Harvard and Dartmouth, Penn is picking up steam heading into its final home weekend. Now the Red and Blue are ready to give Yale a run for its money.

Coming off of a big comeback win against Princeton last weekend, the Penn volleyball team enters its weekend slate with a growing confidence after having won four of its last five matches.