Box Score La Salle vs. Penn Box (PDF)
 
PHILADELPHIA – The Explorers were back in action Monday evening, taking on their Big 5 rival Pennsylvania in the Blue & Gold's final non-conference matchup of the regular season. Although La Salle was able to take the first set, Penn ultimately outlasted them, as the Explorers dropped the next three sets and the match 3-1 (25-21, 14-25, 21-25, 21-25). Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Perillo posted a double-double with a match high 16 kills (.289) and 14 digs. Sophomore setter Michelle Healy also posted a double-double with 24 assists and 10 digs.
 
La Salle hoped to sway some momentum in their direction as the team heads into the brunt of their Atlantic 10 Conference slate. A boisterous white-out crowd was on hand to try and help buoy the Explorers to a victory over their fellow Big 5 rival Penn. Early on it seemed that a victory would be very much in the cards this evening.
 
Both teams battled back and forth in the early going, as the teams combined for nine ties and three lead changes in the opening set. With the score knotted at 14-14, the Explorers mounted a 6-1 scoring run to wrestle away control of the set. The Quakers would battle back to close the gap to 21-19, but ultimately La Salle would stymie the Penn rally to take the first set 25-21. This was the first time the Explorers were able to take the opening set since their season opening match against Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
The Explorers found themselves unable to sustain the momentum in the second set, as the Quakers regrouped to make a 12-5 run to start the set. Although the Explorers would put together a subsequent 3-0 run to claw back into the set, that four-point deficit would be as close as they could come to closing the gap. A 10-3 run by the Quakers salted away the second set and took the wind out of a raucous student section.
 
The third set began very similarly to the second; with the Quakers jumping out to the early lead, as the teams moved toward the halfway point of the set. The Explorers trailed by five at 15-10, but this time the Explorers packed a little more punch in their rally. The Blue & Gold strung together a 10-5 run to tie the score at 20 apiece. The teams traded the next two points, and Explorer freshman Phoebe Cook stood on serve looking to push the Explorers over the top. The Quakers leading outside hitter Kristen Etterbeek was able to notch a strong kill to snatch control of serve back to Penn, with excellent libero Dani Shepherd taking the ball for the Quakers. Her serve proved too much for the Explorers to handle as they fell to Penn in the swing set 21-25.
 
With their backs against the wall the Explorers did not back down in the crucial fourth set. The Blue & Gold stacked themselves to an early 10-4 lead on the strength of the excellent hitting of Perillo. However, the set dramatically turned when the Quakers service rotation came around to Alexis Genske and Dani Shepherd. Behind the excellent service of the California duo, the Quakers (6-6) went on a 14-1 run to emphatically swing the set and match at in their favor. A last gasp effort by the Blue & Gold cut the Quaker lead to two at 21-23, but Penn was able to hang on for the final two points and the match.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Perillo notched her first double-double since the first week of the season against Howard, marking a match high 16 kills, while also adding 14 digs. Tonight's match marked the second in a row in which she was able to notch double-digit kills, an extremely positive sign that she has fully recovered from the shoulder injury that sidelined her for five matches earlier this season.
 
Freshman hitter Phoebe Cook continued her evolution as a go-to offensive weapon for the Explorer attack. She racked up a new career high 9 kills on a team leading .296 hitting percentage.
 
Sophomore setter Michelle Healy continued her strong run of recent play, recording her third double-double in the team's last four matches. She marked a team leading 24 assists, while adding 10 digs and 5 kills.
 
Sophomore libero Erin Noga led all players with a match high 21 digs.
 
The Explorers (1-19; 0-2 A-10) return to action Friday evening with a 7:00pm match up against the Dayton Flyers at Tom Gola Arena.