Oct. 16, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
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The second-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team (16-2, 8-0 Big Ten) takes its undefeated conference record on the road to Illinois and No. 8 Wisconsin this weekend. The Nittany Lions and Fighting Illini square off on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m. CT in Champaign, Ill., before the Lions take on the Badgers, who are also undefeated in the league, on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1:00 p.m. CT in Madison, Wis., in a match that will be aired on a same-day delay at 5:00 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. Gametracker or livestats will be available for both matches at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions (16-2) enter Friday's contest with an 8-0 mark in the Big Ten after sweeping both Ohio State (30-23, 30-17, 30-16) and Michigan (30-16, 30-28, 30-22) last week at Rec Hall to remain atop the league standings with Wisconsin. Junior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) and sophomore outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) lead the squad with 4.72 and 4.47 kills per game as Big Ten Player of the Week junior middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) adds in 3.14 kills per game on a league-leading .490 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) directs the offense with 12.27 assists per game and junior libero Roberta Holehouse (Joppa, Md.) provides the defense with 3.76 digs per game as Hodge chips in 2.67 dpg. Freshman middle hitter Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) leads the blocking chart with 2.03 blocks per game as Harmotto provides 1.56 bpg. As a team, Penn State is hitting .338 to lead the Big Ten and is averaging 17.08 kills per game, 1.55 service aces per game, 13.70 digs per game and 3.81 blocks per game.
Scouting Illinois
The Fighting Illini come into Friday's match with a 12-6 overall record and 4-4 mark in the Big Ten after sweeping Iowa (30-26, 30-28, 30-24) and defeating then-No. 11 Minnesota in four games (30-25, 30-25, 18-30, 30-21) on the road last weekend. Freshman outside hitter Laura DeBruler leads the team with 4.75 kills per game as senior middle hitter Vicki Brown chips in 3.23 kpg. Junior setter Lizzie Bazzetta dishes out 11.60 assists per game and sophomore libero Ashley Edinger leads the defense with 4.80 digs per game. Freshman middle hitter Johannah Bangert heads the blocking list with 1.26 blocks per game as Brown provides 1.16 bpg and senior outside hitter Stefanie Alde notches 0.71 bpg. As a team, Illinois is hitting .233 with 15.41 kills per game, 1.37 service aces per game, 15.21 digs per game and 2.54 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Illinois
Penn State leads Illinois, 30-6, in a series that began in 1981. The last meeting was a three-game Nittany Lion win (30-22, 30-23, 30-13) on Nov. 24, 2006 in Rec Hall. The last meeting in Champaign was a three-game Penn State victory (34-32, 30-23, 32-30) on Oct. 15, 2006. The Nittany Lions have claimed the last seven contests in the series.
Scouting Wisconsin
The Badgers enter the weekend with a 16-1 overall record and an 8-0 record in conference action, placing them in a tie for first in the Big Ten standings with Penn State, after sweeping then-No. 11 Minnesota (30-28, 30-26, 30-25) and defeating Iowa in four games (30-28, 26-30, 30-27, 30-21) last weekend on the road. Sophomore outside hitter Brittney Dolgner leads the squad with 4.72 kills per game as five other players are averaging more than 2.00 kills per game, including sophomore Katherine Dykstra (2.64 kpg), junior Audra Jeffers (2.53 kpg) and freshman Allison Wack (2.44 kpg). Senior setter Jackie Simpson directs the offense with 13.08 assists per game and senior libero Jocelyn Wack leads the defense with 4.46 digs per game. Senior middle hitter Taylor Reineke leads the team and ranks third in the Big Ten with 1.63 blocks per game as Jeffers adds in 1.29 bpg. As a team, Wisconsin is hitting .277, good for second in the conference, with 16.51 kills per game, 1.63 services aces per game, 14.98 digs per game and 3.35 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Wisconsin
Penn State leads Wisconsin, 29-6, in a series that began in 1986. The last meeting was a three-game Badger win (30-22, 30-28, 30-25) on Oct. 27, 2006 in Madison to snap the Lions' 41-match Big Ten winning streak. The last Penn State win at the UW Field House was a three-game victory (30-21, 30-25, 30-22) on Oct. 8, 2005.
Next Up
The Nittany Lions remain on the road, facing Minnesota and Iowa on Oct. 26 and 27. The contest with the Gophers on Friday, Oct. 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET will be televised by ESPN2 and will be broadcast on a tape-delay basis on Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.