Sports

Autumn Leak, holding a blue and white volleyball, sits on a bench outside of the Palestra. She is wearing a blue Penn volleyball shirt.

Killing time with Autumn Leak

The junior co-captain on the volleyball team chats about her role as an outside hitter, the art of the volleyball kill, overcoming anxiety, competing against her sister, and her plans for the offseason.

Greg Johnson ・

Kayla Padilla smiles while holding a basketball in a t-shirt she designed in front of a sign that reads Kobe Bryant Gym.

Basketball player Kayla Padilla is ready for brand ambassadorship

The Wharton junior is one of the first student athletes to take advantage of the new NCAA name, image, and likeness policy, partnering with her long time training program Home Court Edge Basketball on a logo that reflects her Filipino heritage.

From Wharton Stories ・

Wearing her blue Penn jersey, Gracyn Banks leads against a field hockey goal post at Vagelos Field.

Guarding the goal with Gracyn Banks

The senior captain discusses her role as a center back, the field hockey team’s brutal schedule, playing for USA Field hockey, her work as a field hockey coach and referee, and her plans for next year.

Greg Johnson ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn men’s basketball players who sit for the national anthem explain their protest

“We want people to notice,” says senior Lucas Monroe, a captain. “We want them to ask us about it. … People see us sitting for the flag. Obviously, some people don’t like it.” He means really thinking about it. “We see racial gaps in pretty much every aspect of life, whether that be the health care system, education, housing. So for us, it’s about bringing light to the fact that while the anthem says that America stands for freedom and justice and equality for all—the land of the free—we want to highlight the fact that it doesn’t always live up to that,” says Jelani Williams.

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ESPN

Penn guard Jelani Williams’ first college basketball home game was 1,795 days in the making

After suffering three consecutive ACL tears and enduring a canceled season last year, Jelani Williams, a fifth-year senior, played in his first collegiate home game this month, with an 85-57 win over Lafayette at the Palestra. Williams suffered a torn ACL for the first time as a senior in high school, and it would be nearly five years before he had the chance to play in a real basketball game again.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

The Palestra returns to basketball life for the first time in 619 days

The Quakers men’s and women’s teams played at the historic arena for the first time since March 2020.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

The Palestra awakens after 19-month slumber as Penn finally gears up for a new season

The Penn Quakers plan to play basketball inside the Palestra this winter, after a 19-month hiatus, and a spring semester that was mostly a three-month training camp.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn trying to find answer at quarterback, first Ivy win against Yale

Penn football is still searching for its first Ivy League win of the season, with offensive woes highlighted by rotating quarterbacks.

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