Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red volleyball team took a 2-1 lead but couldn't hold off Penn, who came roaring back to win a five-set thriller this evening in Newman Arena to hand Cornell its first conference loss of the season. Through the first full weekend of Ivy play, the Big Red sits in a tie for second place in the Ancient Eight with a 2-1 conference record (5-7 overall).

Cornell had three players register double-digit kills – Breanna Wong (17), Sarah Kramer (15) and Rachel D'Epagnier (10) – with both Wong and D'Epagnier being extremely efficient, posting .260 and .320 hitting percentages, respectively. D'Epagnier was also huge at the net, registering a game-high eight total blocks (three solo). Kramer also finished with six block assists.

Setter Alyssa Phelps tallied 43 assists, nine digs and three block assists and libero Natasha Rowland posted a game-high 32 digs.

Penn (7-7, 1-2 Ivy) was led by Arielle Winfield and Alex Caldwell with 13 kills apiece, while Alexis Genske finished with 10. Caldwell also posted 34 assists and 10 digs while splitting setting duties with Ronnie Bither, who finished with 19 assists. In addition to Caldwell, Kristen Etterbeek (19), Dani Shepard (16), and Genske (17) registered double-digit digs.

The Quakers managed to edge Cornell in the first set, 25-22, but the home team stormed back in the second set, using some timely blocking from Kramer and D'Epagnier, as well kills from Kramer, Wong and D'Epagnier to take a 14-9 lead. From there, the Big Red rolled to the 25-21 victory.

That momentum carried into the third set, where Cornell went up 11-6 early on. A kill from Wilson, followed by an attack error from Caldwell pushed the lead to 15-8 and the Quakers never seriously threatened down the stretch as Cornell won it, 25-20.

The fourth set looked like clear sailing, as the Big Red jumped out to an early 6-2 lead but some impressive serving from Shepard erased the deficit and put the visitors up, 8-6. A kill from Kramer ended the run, but moments later a service ace from Caldwell and a kill from Jasmine DeSilva gave the Quakers the 11-7 advantage. Cornell responded with consecutive kills from Wong and D'Epagnier before a block by D'Epagnier made it a one-point set, bus a kill from Etterbeek opened a 6-0 run that put Penn en route to the 25-17 victory.

The visitors continued their hot hitting early in the decisive fifth set, storming out to a 6-2 lead, but the Big Red managed to claw its way back and put the result in doubt. Back-to-back kills from Grayce Campbell, followed by a kill and a solo block from D'Epagnier knotted the game at 13-13, but consecutive kills from Caldwell ended the set and gave the Quakers the 15-13 decision.

Cornell will hit the road for weekend contests at Harvard and Dartmouth. The Big Red will take on the Crimson on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7:00 p.m., before travelling north to Hanover, N.H. to take on the Big Green the following day at 5:00 p.m.