In her freshman year, Claire Deller is already making an impact at Penn

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Penn has a secret weapon in freshman outside hitter Claire Deller.

It’s hard to tell, considering the slow start the Quakers volleyball program is off to this season, but its upside is a young arsenal headlined by Deller — and it’s bringing high hopes for upcoming seasons.

Coach Meredith Schamun has put a considerable amount of faith in the rookie, starting her in several matches this season, including nine of Penn’s first 13.

“I think that she provides so much for this team, more than just from a volleyball standpoint,” Schamun said. “She is just a wonderfully happy human and so many people love playing with her and it really helps, especially when things are tight.”

Through her first 29 sets played, the 6-foot-1 Deller has dominated both offensively and defensively. In that span, she had 2.28 points per set, 49 kills, and six aces, and led the Quakers with 0.72 blocks per set.

Deller has started to come into her own with the start of Ivy League play. In a recent game against Harvard, she led the team with five blocks despite only seeing action in three of the five sets.

Playing toe-to-toe with the Crimson all night, the Quakers ultimately dropped the match. Falling short in close matches has been the story of the season for the Quakers, having lost 17 matches by five points or fewer.

“We’ve talked a lot this season about [wanting] this pressure, we want to be in the fifth set with a team with everything on the line because that means we’ve earned that,” Schamun said. “Now we have to just go find a way to mentally get over that hump.”

Coming from one of the biggest volleyball hot spots in the country, the San Diego native brings some major accolades to the East Coast.

Deller helped Torrey Pines High School to its first state and national championships as a sophomore. After her senior year, she was named first-team all-region, which included athletes from California, Arizona, and Nevada. She was also a 2021 All-America honorable mention.

With no family or connections to the East Coast, Deller has quickly found a home in Philadelphia.

“The East Coast offers something that California doesn’t, which is that rich history [that] is so apparent everywhere I go,” she said. “[Penn’s campus is] a little bubble and then just one walk across the river and you’re in Philadelphia and you’re immersed in the city, which I think is something special.”

Deller is in good company in adjusting to the hustle and bustle of college life in Philadelphia, with eight of the 17 members of the roster also hailing from California.

She told The Inquirer that one of her favorite aspects of volleyball in the Northeast is being able to experience all four seasons — and getting a Penn-branded parka to wear when the weather gets colder.

Even though the Quakers are struggling this season, players like Deller are among the corps that shows promise for years to come.

“Having good depth at the younger age groups is just exciting,” Schamun said. “It means we’re going to bring more people in and the people that are playing now and having a role are going to be really good leaders in the next couple of years.”