PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Oct. 31, 2026) – The Thomas Jefferson University women's volleyball team rallied to win the third and fourth sets and pushed the deciding frame to extra points before narrowly coming up short to Holy Family University, 3-2, on Halloween afternoon.
Junior middle blockers Pemi Areola (Kingwood, Texas / Kingwood) and Liz Tanis (Abington, Pa. / Abington) powered Jefferson's offense with 14 kills apiece. Areola hit .571 and contributed four assisted blocks, while Tanis committed just one error in 33 attempts for a .394 hitting percentage.
Tanis supplied the finishing kill in the Rams' 25-23 third-set victory, setting up their most commanding stretch of the afternoon. Jefferson's offensive picked things up to the tune of a .400 clip in the fourth, putting away 14 kills against just two errors to roll to a 25-11 win and force the deciding set. The Rams continued to battle in the fifth, erasing two match points and creating an opportunity to complete the comeback themselves. Their response extended the afternoon to an 18-16 finish in a matchup between two of the CACC's top teams.
Junior Alexa Mork (West Chester, Pa. / West Chester East / Towson University) contributed a double-double with 13 kills and 19 digs. Senior Emily McKenna (Drexel Hill, Pa. / Sacred Heart Academy) joined her with 11 kills and 13 digs, giving Jefferson four players in double figures offensively. McKenna, who is currently sixth all-time in career kills, was briefly recognized before the game as part of the annual Senior Day ceremony.
Freshman setter Lyllah Sapp (Bakersfield, Calif. / Frontier) recorded another double-double with 51 assists and 10 digs, adding four kills and two aces in her second-consecutive game with 50+ assists. Sophomore libero Kate Hines (Newark, Del. / Delaware Military Academy) anchored the back row with a season-high 36 digs and supplied two aces of her own. Jefferson totaled 96 digs on the afternoon.
Head Coach Eric Schaefer and the Rams close the regular season with two road matches, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Wilmington University at 7 p.m. Jefferson then visits Goldey-Beacom College on Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon, where they will wrap the CACC regular season.
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