Nov. 1, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Match Notes in PDF Format
The top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team (20-2, 12-0 Big Ten) hosts Purdue (13-10, 6-6 Big Ten) and Indiana (14-10, 5-7 Big Ten) on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2-3 at 7:00 p.m. each night at Rec Hall. The match between the Nittany Lions and the Boilermakers will be televised by ESPN2 on a tape-delay basis on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Gametracker will be available for both matches at www.GoPSUsports.com. 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.
Friday night will also be "Halloween 2" at Rec Hall, with the first 75 students in costume receiving a coupon for a free Dominos pizza. Students also have the chance to win money off of spring textbooks by participating in the costume contest. The best costume winner will get $200 off of spring textbooks from the Penn State Bookstore, with the second and third place costumes receiving $150 and $100 off, respectively.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions (20-2) enter Friday's contest with a 12-0 Big Ten record after sweeping then-No. 22 Minnesota (30-21, 30-25, 30-15) and Iowa (30-15, 30-23, 30-25) on the road last weekend. Sophomore outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) and junior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio) continue to lead the offense with 4.58 and 4.53 kills per game, respectively, while junior middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) chips in 3.04 kpg. Sophomore setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) directs the offense with 12.31 assists per game while junior libero Roberta Holehouse (Joppa, Md.) provides 3.81 digs per game. Freshman middle hitter Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) heads the blocking chart with 1.85 blocks per game as Harmotto adds in 1.64 bpg and senior middle hitter Melissa Walbridge (Yardley, Pa.) produces 1.13 bpg while redshirt freshman opposite Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) tallies 0.97 bpg. As a team, Penn State is leading the Big Ten with a .329 hitting percentage while adding 16.80 kills per game, 1.43 service aces per game, 13.62 digs per game and 3.88 blocks per game.
Scouting Purdue
The Boilermakers come into Friday's match with a 13-10 overall record and an even 6-6 Big Ten mark after falling to Illinois (26-30, 28-30, 28-20) and Wisconsin (14-30, 19-30, 30-26, 23-30) last weekend at home. Junior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch leads the offense with 3.93 kills per game as junior outside hitter Danita Merlau and senior outside hitter Samantha Mader add in 3.73 and 2.89 kpg, respectively. The team runs a 6-2 offense, with freshman setter Jaclyn Hart dishing out 9.83 assists per game and sophomore setter Sam Gray contributing 6.68 assists per game. Junior Kelli Miller and senior Anne Mastandrea top the defense with 4.63 and 4.26 digs per game, respectively, as Lynch tops the blocking list with 1.24 blocks per game. As a team, Purdue is hitting .199 with 15.23 kills per game, 0.98 service aces per game, 18.30 digs per game and 2.92 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Purdue
Penn State leads Purdue, 38-5, in a series that began in 1981. The previous meeting this season was a three-game Nittany Lion victory (30-18, 30-20, 38-36) on Sept. 29 in West Lafayette, Ind. The last meeting at Rec Hall was a three-game Penn State win (30-13, 30-15, 30-22) on Nov. 3, 2006. The Nittany Lions have claimed the last 37 meetings between the two schools, including a three-game contest in last season's NCAA Regional semifinal match in Seattle, Wash.
Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers enter the weekend with a 14-10 overall record and a 5-7 mark in the Big Ten after dropping a heartbreaker to Wisconsin (23-30, 20-30, 31-29, 30-28, 14-16) and falling to Illinois (26-30, 26-30, 30-26, 27-30) last weekend at home. Junior outside hitter Erica Short leads the team with 4.30 kills per game while freshman setter Mara Hilgenberg directs the offense with 12.08 assists per game. Senior libero Juli Pierce heads the defense with 4.08 digs per game while freshman middle hitter Ashley Benson tops the blocking list with 1.24 blocks per game. As a team, Indiana is hitting .196 with 14.64 kills per game, 1.53 service aces per game, 14.40 digs per game and 2.91 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Indiana
Penn State leads Indiana, 35-0, in a series that began in 1982. The previous meeting was a three-game Nittany Lion win (30-19, 30-22, 30-22) on Sept. 28 in Bloomington, Ind. The last meeting at Rec Hall was a three-game Penn State victory (30-18, 30-15, 30-17) on Nov. 4, 2006.
Next Up
The Nittany Lions return to the road, facing Northwestern and Michigan State on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9. The match with the Wildcats is slated for Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT while the contest with the Spartans is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.