PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 5, 2026) – The Thomas Jefferson University women's volleyball team made an incredible statement at this year's Jefferson Invitational, the first of its kind on Herb Magee Court inside the Gallagher Athletic Center.
The Rams went 3-1 against teams playing exclusively against teams from the PSAC or NE10 conferences. Even in their lone defeat on Saturday morning, the Rams still managed to give a good account of themselves and are quickly finding a winning identity as the 2026 campaign gets underway.
Friday Game 1: Jefferson 3, St. Thomas Aquinas 0
The Rams first faced off against St. Thomas Aquinas College and from the onset looked to be the more experienced, athletic team. Freshman and reigning CAAC Setter/Rookie of the Week
Lyllah Sapp (Bakersfield, Calif. / Frontier) continued to demonstrate a poise well beyond her years, remaining locked in as the Rams' starting setter en route to a 27-assist performance over three efficient sets. Collectively, the Rams hit no worse than .226 in any frame with senior
Emily McKenna (Drexel Hill, Pa. / Sacred Heart Academy) and junior
Liz Tanis (Abington, Pa. / Abington) combining for 20 kills themselves.
The biggest difference against STAQ might come at the net, however. The Rams registered a collective five blocks to the Spartans' one and seven service aces to the Spartans' one.
Friday Game 2: Jefferson 3, Southern New Hampshire 0
In a young season with a few dominant performances from the Rams, none have been more dominant than what the Rams put on tape against the Minutemen of Southern New Hampshire. Jefferson shredded SNHU 25-9, 25-8, 25-14, and were up 23-5 at one point in the second set.
The Rams' dominance on serve continued to be a theme, aceing the Penmen at an incredible 12:1 clip. McKenna once again led as the only Ram with double-digit kills in a match that took less than an hour to finish. Collectively, Jefferson committed a mere seven errors, right around two per set while maintaining a .400 team hitting percentage.
Saturday Game 1: American International 3, Jefferson 1
The most anticipated contest of the weekend came in the early game on Saturday with the Rams taking on an American International team that had yet to drop a set this season at the time of the match. Like the Rams, the Hornets rolled their first two opponents of the tournament, but this time saw four competitive sets with Jefferson being the first team to take a set off them this year.
The Rams also showed a level of resilience against AIC, rebounding from two sets down to win the third in a competitive 25-23 frame. Jefferson took advantage of eight AIC errors and, at points, showed they could create separation against a Hornets team that refused to let the Rams out of their range. Some of the biggest moments of the frame came early when the Rams opened on a 4-1 run where junior
Alexa Mork (West Chester, Pa. / West Chester East / Towson University) picked up a pair of service aces.
AIC's resilience was on full display, however, finding themselves three points away from closing out the match. Jefferson responded by winning five of the final six points to steal the set, once again on Mork's serve where she served up her third ace of the frame. Sophomore libero
Kate Hines (Newark, Del. / Delaware Military Academy) keyed the defense with 17 digs while McKenna double-doubled for the first time this year. Junior middle
Pemi Areola (Kingwood, Texas / Kingwood) also proved key, figuring in on six total blocks while hitting .412 on the match behind eight kills.
Saturday Game 2: Jefferson 3, Bloomsburg 0
Jefferson regained its dominant form against Bloomsburg in the final match of the tournament. Though competitive in spots, the Rams still had little trouble dispatching the Huskies with sophomore
Alexa Pomeroy (Eastvale, Calif. / Pomona Catholic) this time leading the way with nine kills. Setter Sapp had another big 26-assist performance, and middle blocker Areola once again had an eight kill outing to just one error. Collectively, the Rams hit .356 on the match and are now up to a .268 percentage on the year.
Head Coach
Eric Schaefer and the Rams will next rematch Lincoln University (Pa.) at home on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6:00 p.m. The two teams previously met at the PSAC East Kickoff Tournament in West Chester with the Rams dominating all three sets (25-6, 25-12, 25-11).
Follow and show support for your Thomas Jefferson University Rams on X (@jeffersonrams), Facebook and Instagram
