PHILADELPHIA – The Big Red volleyball team got off to a slow start and was unable to come all the way back, falling to Penn, 3-1, this evening in the Palestra. With the loss, Cornell slips to 10-10 overall, while the Quakers improve to 11-9 on the season. Both teams sit tied for fourth place in the Ivy League standings with a mark of 6-5 in the conference.
 
Penn won the first two sets, 25-12 and 25-22, but Cornell fought back to take the third, 25-22. The fourth set went to extra points but the Quakers came out on the winning end, 26-24.
 
Three Big Red finished with double-digit kills, led by Samanta Arenas' 15. Arenas also finished with nine digs and three total blocks (two solo). Both Jenna Phelps and Emily Wemhoff finished with 10 kills apiece, with Phelps hitting a match-high .526 (10-0-19) to go along with two blocks.
 
Defensively, Kiley McPeek tallied 23 digs (5.75 per set), while Lily Barber and Zoe Chamness chipped in nine digs each.
 
Chamness also handed out 24 assists and Chelsea Sincox finished with 15.
 
Penn was led by Parker Jones' 15-kill, 12-dig double-double. Hayley Molnar (11), Kendall Covington (10) and Raven Sulaimon (10) all had double-digit kills, with Covington posting a team-high .391 hitting percentage (10-1-23).
 
Four Quakers posted double-digit digs, led by Caroline Furrer's match-high 25. Penn finished the match with 83 team digs as the defense held Cornell to a .167 hitting percentage.
 
Cornell is back in action tomorrow night as it takes on first-place Princeton at Dillon Gym at 5 p.m.