Aug. 24, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The third-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team opened up the 2007 season with a four-game win over fourth-ranked Texas (30-23, 34-32, 30-22, 30-24) Friday night at Rec Hall in front of 3,012 fans.
"This was a tough match in a very hot gym and it was a match that tested the players on both sides," said head coach Russ Rose. "I thought we played more steady in the third and fourth games. Our hitting percentage picked up and the passing shored up towards the end of the match. Texas has four All-Americans on the floor. They're a very talented team and are very well coached. We are going to have to play better tomorrow night to win again. When Texas gets things going, they're a dangerous team. There's a reason they're ranked fourth in the country, they're very talented."
With her 21st kill of the night, junior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) reached the 1,000 mark for her career, becoming the 18th Nittany Lion in program history to do so. Her kill total for the night was second on the squad only to sophomore outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.), who racked up 22 kills. Junior middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) pounded 15 kills on .545 hitting, just two kills shy of her career best mark. Senior middle hitter Melissa Walbridge (Yardley, Pa.) and senior outside hitter Kate Price (Fraser, Mich.) each added five kills for Penn State. As a team, the Nittany Lions attacked at a .276 mark for the match, compared to a .171 hitting percentage by the Longhorns.
Sophomore setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) directed the offense with 57 assists, just six shy of her personal best mark, set last year at Texas on Sept. 8. Glass also added three kills, a match-high three service aces and three digs. Junior libero Roberta Holehouse (Joppa, Md.) topped the squad with a match-high 22 digs as Price tallied 13 digs. Hodge collected her 13th career double-double with 11 digs as Fawcett posted her third career double-double with 10 digs and freshman Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) notched three digs. As a team, Penn State outdug Texas 66-50.
The Nittany Lions collected nine service aces to the Longhorns' six, with Glass posting three, Holehouse adding two and Fawcett, Walbridge, Price and senior Ann Naylor (Los Angeles, Calif.) each collected one.
Texas outblocked Penn State, 12.5-11.0. Harmotto led the way with six blocks, including three solo efforts, as Hodge collected four, Walbridge tallied three and Fawcett, Glass and Price all notched one.
Longhorn sophomore Destinee Hooker led Texas with 15 kills as Lauren Paolini tallied 11 and Juliann Faucette notched 10. Michelle Moriarty dished out 25 assists as Ashley Engle provided 18 assists and seven kills in the 6-2 offense. Faucette collected 10 digs to lead the team as Brandy Magee provided six blocks.
Penn State took a commanding 13-3 lead to start the match on kills by Harmotto and Hodge. Texas fought back to within eight at 16-8 on a Hooker kill but the Nittany Lions maintained control, going up 24-14 on consecutive Fawcett kills. Back to back Magee aces for Texas pulled the Longhorns within six at 25-19 and forced a Penn State timeout. Out of the break, the teams traded points four times before a Harmotto kill ended the game, 30-23. Harmotto led the Lions with six kills as Hodge added five and Fawcett chipped in four.
The second game remained close early on, with Texas going up 13-10 on a Paolini kill. The put-away sparked the Longhorns, who went up 18-12 on a kill from Faucette. Kills from Harmotto and Fawcett aided Penn State to pulling within three at 19-16 and the Nittany Lions slowly chipped away at the Longhorn lead. Texas maintained the slim advantage, going up 25-22 on another Faucette kill but the Longhorn lead was trimmed to one at 25-24 following a Harmotto kill and solo block. Texas reached game point at 29-25 on a Hooker kill but a Texas attack error, two Holehouse aces and a Fawcett kill evened the score at 29-29. The teams traded kills four times and a Texas error and kill knotted the game at 32-32, but a Penn State attack error and a Faucette kill ended the game in Texas' favor at 34-32.
The Nittany Lions jumped out to the early lead in the third game, going up 15-10 on a Fawcett kill. A Fawcett and Walbridge block extended the margin to 18-11 and a Walbridge kill and solo block pushed it to 20-13. A Price service ace put Penn State ahead 24-16 but Texas slowly crept back in, pulling within six at 24-18 on a block by Faucette and Magee. A Harmotto kill gave the Lions the 27-20 lead before kills from Hodge and Walbridge and a Glass service ace ended the game, 30-22.
Three Hodge kills, a Price put-away and a Glass block gave Penn State the 10-8 lead to start the fourth game. A Lion service error evened the game at 12-12 before consecutive Fawcett kills put the Lions up 15-12. A Price kill and Naylor ace extended the score to 18-14 before kills from Harmotto and Hodge along with a Texas attack error put Penn State up 21-16. The Lions maintained the lead, with a Hodge kill making it 24-17 and another Fawcett kill putting Penn State ahead 27-22. Fawcett's 1,000th career kill, off the block and out of bounds, gave the Nittany Lions the 28-23 lead before two Hodge kills ended the game, 30-24.
Penn State and Texas meet again Saturday night at Rec Hall. Penn State students get into the matches for free with their university ID and tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for youth and groups of 10 or more are $2 per person. Fans will have the chance to win tickets to the NCAA Regional Championship hosted by Penn State on Dec. 7-8 and will also receive PHEAA rally towels this weekend.
Gametracker, live audio and streaming video will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.