Oct. 9, 2009
Complete Release in pdf format
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball continues a four-match road trip with a visit to No. 5 Minnesota on Sunday, Oct. 11. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. CT in Minnesota's Sports Pavilion.
The match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and live stats will be available via a link at Gophersports.com. Fans can also access live audio via a link at GoPSUsports.com.
Nittany Lion Preview
The top-ranked Nittany Lions improved to 17-0 and 5-0 in conference play with a 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-15, 25-13) victory at Ohio State on Wednesday, Oct. 7. It was the first of four straight conference road matches for the Lions.
Penn State attacked at a .353 clip averaging 14.25 kills per set. The squad registered 13.00 assists per set, 1.00 aces per set, 3.85 digs per set and 4.50 blocks per set. Hodge led the squad 18 kills, averaging 4.50 kills per set, while senior setter Alisha Glass dished out 47 assists for an 11.75 assists per set average. Glass also led the squad with 3.25 digs per set. Junior Fatima Balza rounded out the team leaders with 12 total blocks to average 3.00 blocks per set.
The Nittany Lions have extended their NCAA-record winning streak to 81 consecutive matches. The squad also extended their Big Ten winning streak to 50 straight matches to take over the top spot on the all-time Big Ten consecutive wins list. The Nittany Lions own the top three spots and have not lost a match since Nov. 8, 2006 at Ohio State.
Scouting the Gophers
Minnesota is the only remaining unbeaten Big Ten foe so far in league play. The Gophers have swept Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue and Indiana. Overall, Minnesota is 13-3 with their losses coming to nationally-ranked Nebraska, Washington and Oregon. The Gophers took both Nebraska and Oregon to five sets.
The Series: Penn State vs. Minnesota
The Nittany Lions are 32-7 all-time against the Gophers and have swept Minnesota in the last four meetings. Penn State won the first meeting on Sept. 9, 1983, 3-1 (15-10, 7-15, 15-3, 15-6), at home in Rec Hall. Last season, Penn State defeated the Gophers on Oct. 11, 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-12), in Minneapolis and again, 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-17), at home in University Park.
What's Next?
Penn State has two final road tests before returning home for four straight home matches. The Lions travel to No. 8 Michigan on Friday, Oct. 16 before taking 18th-ranked Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 17. Penn State's match at Michigan will be taped by ESPN2 and aired on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. The team returns home on Oct. 23 when it hosts Indiana in Rec Hall at 8 p.m.