Oct. 22, 2008
University Park, Pa. -
The top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team takes to the road this weekend to face No. 21 Wisconsin and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions and Badgers square off on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET) in a contest that will be televised on ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The Lions then head to Evanston, Ill., to take on Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. ET.
Links to live stats and Gametracker will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions enter the weekend with a 20-0 overall record and an 8-0 mark in the Big Ten after sweeping No. 22 Michigan (25-18, 25-15, 25-20) and Ohio State (25-15, 25-14, 25-12) last weekend at home. Senior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett and junior outside hitter Megan Hodge lead the team with 3.88 and 3.83 kills per game, respectively, as senior middle hitter Christa Harmotto chips in 2.58 kills per game on a nation-leading .512 hitting. Junior setter Alisha Glass directs the offense and leads the country and the Big Ten with 12.33 assists per game while senior libero Roberta Holehouse tops the defense with 3.31 digs per game. Harmotto and sophomore middle hitter Arielle Wilson head the blocking list with 1.54 and 1.28 blocks per game, respectively. As a team, Penn State is hitting a nation-best .398 while holding opponents to hitting .062 and averaging 14.92 kills per game, 1.45 service aces per game, 11.72 digs per game and 3.22 blocks per game.
Scouting Wisconsin
The Badgers come into Friday's contest with a 14-6 record and a 4-4 mark in the Big Ten after falling to both Purdue (25-22, 21-25, 29-27, 16-25, 9-15) and Illinois (25-27, 17-25, 22-25) last weekend on the road. Junior outside hitter Brittney Dolgner and senior middle hitter Audra Jeffers lead the team with 3.24 and 2.42 kills per game, respectively, while sophomore Nikki Klingsporn and freshman Janelle Gabrielsen run a 6-2 offense with 6.19 and 5.46 assists per game, respectively. Sophomore libero Kim Kuzma tops the defense with 4.24 digs per game and Jeffers heads the blocking list with 1.07 blocks per game. As a team, Wisconsin is hitting .248 with 13.78 kills per game, 1.05 service aces per game, 13.08 digs per game and 2.47 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Wisconsin
Penn State leads Wisconsin, 31-6, in a series that began in 1986. The last meeting was a four-game Nittany Lion victory (30-28, 30-22, 24-30, 30-25) on Nov. 16, 2007 at Rec Hall. The last meeting in Madison was a five-game Penn State win (30-18, 24-30, 24-30, 30-27, 15-13) on Oct. 21, 2007.
Scouting Northwestern
The Wildcats enter the weekend with a 7-12 record and a 1-7 mark in the Big Ten after defeating Illinois (20-25, 27-25, 11-25, 25-19, 19-17) and falling to Purdue (19-25, 20-25, 23-25) last weekend on the road. Senior middle hitter Chelsy Hyser, sophomore middle hitter Sabel Moffett and sophomore outside hitter Brittani Gray lead the squad with 2.77, 2.68 and 2.56 kills per game, respectively. Sophomore setter Elyse Glab directs the offense with 9.99 assists per game and junior libero Kate Nobilio tops the defense with 4.93 digs per game. Moffett heads the blocking chart with 1.05 blocks per game. As a team, Northwestern is hitting .193 with 12.96 kills per game, 1.03 service aces per game, 13.97 digs per game and 2.21 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Northwestern
Penn State leads Northwestern, 34-8, in a series that began in 1981. The last meeting was a three-game Nittany Lion victory (30-24, 30-20, 30-27) on Nov. 9, 2007 in Evanston, Ill. Penn State has claimed the last 10 consecutive meetings.
Next Up
The Nittany Lions return home to host Minnesota and Iowa on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Penn State and the Golden Gophers square off on Halloween night at 7:00 p.m. ET at Rec Hall before the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes meet on Saturday, Nov. 1, also at 7:00 p.m. ET at Rec Hall. Penn State will then play host to Indiana on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 p.m. in a match that will be televised to a live national audience on the Big Ten Network.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2008 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.