The Bison Volleyball team attended the Penn Invitational in its second weekend of non-league competition. The Orange and Blue experienced a 1-2 weekend, suffering losses to both Penn and Coppin State, but managing to secure a win over Canisius. 

The weekend opened with a loss to the Penn Quakers 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-21). Lisa Zoch ’23 led the team with seven kills, but the Bison’s 22 attack errors made it difficult to fight back. The Quakers capitalized on the Orange and Blue’s errors to take the win after just three sets. After falling to the Quakers, the Bison went on to face Canisius and Coppin State.

The Bison came out strong against Canisius winning the first two sets (25-19 and 25-15). They then fell to Canisius in the third set (15-25), but came back in the fourth set (25-20) to beat the Griffins. Libby Nieporte ’24, Zoch and Jennie Burke ’22 all hit double figures in kills. These three combined for 38 kills to lead the Bison to a 3-1 win over Canisius. Sophomore Sarah Ramirez was also crucial in the win, accounting for 42 of the Bison’s 49 assists. 

“Our game against Canisius showed our perseverance when we came back strong after losing the night before,” Ramirez said. “I’m so proud of our team and the ways that we are constantly improving.”

In their last match of the weekend, the Bison fell to Coppin State 3-1 (13-25, 26-24, 25-10, 25-21). Cat Jamison ’24 led the Orange and Blue with 11 kills on 23 attempts, attaining a .304 hitting percentage. Rookie Jordan Hardy ’25 matched a season best 19 digs. The Bison looked strong early on opening with a victory in the first set. The Bison were unable to keep this rhythm through the next three matches, falling to the Eagles. 

After a tough weekend at the Penn Invitational, the Orange and Blue will gear up to compete in their final non-league matches next weekend at the Cornell Invitational. The weekend opens with a match against Niagara on Friday, Sept. 10.