The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team is gearing up for an important weekend as they continue their stretch of five consecutive road matches, heading to New England. The Quakers will face Brown on Friday night in Providence, followed by a match against Yale in New Haven on Saturday. As they aim to secure a spot in the four-team Ivy League Tournament, this weekend presents a critical opportunity for the Quakers, with both opponents currently occupying higher standings. Yale holds a two-game lead over Penn, sitting in fourth place.
Fans can catch all of Penn’s home games and select road matches through the Ivy League’s partnership with ESPN, available on ESPN+. This platform promises the high-quality broadcasts that viewers expect. Earlier this season, Penn faced Brown in a thrilling five-set match at The Palestra, where they won the first two sets but fell to a reverse sweep. Last year, the teams split their series—Penn claimed a 3-0 victory at home, only for Brown to retaliate with a sweep in their next encounter.
Historically, Brown has had the upper hand in this matchup, winning six consecutive matches against Penn from 2021 to 2023, while the Quakers had dominated between 2010 and 2019, sweeping Brown three times and splitting five times. Meanwhile, Yale has dominated their series, having won 12 consecutive matches, along with 18 of the last 19 encounters since Penn’s last victory in 2010.
The Quakers enter this weekend with impressive statistics: they rank third in the nation for attacks per set (38.73) and fourth in digs per set (17.78). Individually, freshman Pollock is ninth in the country for digs per set, while Sanger leads the Ivy League in the same category. Heading into this critical weekend, the Quakers are looking to build on their recent strong performances, having recently secured three straight 3-0 wins against NJIT, Delaware, and Saint Peter’s.
Coached by Hagstrom in his first season, the team has seen significant improvements. Hagstrom previously led Bucknell to a program-record 13-win season in the Patriot League. The Quakers have retained most of their key contributors from last season, returning 98.2 percent of their kills and 94 percent of their blocks, which bodes well for their ongoing quest in the Ivy League.
This young and dynamic team, with many underclassmen making significant contributions, is hopeful for a successful weekend. They are armed not only with individual talent but also with a recent history of competitive play, setting the stage for what could be a breakthrough moment in their season. Fans are encouraged to follow the team on social media for the latest updates and match results.