Dec. 9, 2009
Complete Release in pdf format
Interactive Bracket
Pre-tournament Press Conference Quotes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team travels to the University of Florida this weekend to compete in the Gainesville Regional. The Nittany Lions take on the No. 16 seed Gators on Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Live stats, live audio and live video will be available via a link at GoPSUsports.com. Audio of the match will also air on Newsradio 103, WRSC-FM (103.1). Former Penn State assistant men's volleyball coach Craig Dyer and Dean DeVore will serve as commentators. Should Penn State advance to the Regional Final on Saturday, Dec. 12, the match will be aired on ESPNU at 4 p.m. Devore and Dyer will again provide coverage on Newsradio 103.
Penn State Preview
The top-ranked Nittany Lions entered postseason play for the 29th time hosting the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 4-5. Penn State defeated Binghamton 3-0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-14) in the first round on Friday. The Lions then swept Penn 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-16) in the second round to advance to the NCAA Regional Semifinals.
Penn State attacked at a combined .420 clip against the Bearcats and Quakers. The Lions averaged 13.33 kills per set, 12.50 assists per set, 2.17 aces per set, 11.33 digs per set and 3.75 blocks per set. Junior Arielle Wilson led the team averaging 4.17 kps and also in blocking with 2.00 blocks per set. Senior Alisha Glass had a team-best 10.00 assists per set and junior Blair Brown led the team with an average of 3.50 digs per set.
The Nittany Lions extended their NCAA-record winning streak to 98 consecutive matches. Their Big Ten winning streak is at 65 and the Nittany Lions aim to extend it in 2010. Penn State's home-match winning streak currently stands at 74 and their road-match winning streak is at 47.
Scouting the Gators
Florida heads into this weekend with a 25-5 overall record having defeated both the College of Charleston and Florida International in three sets in the opening rounds of tournament action. The Gators finished their SEC slate with a 16-4 record defeating South Carolina in its final conference match. Florida closed out the regular season with a 3-1 win against Notre Dame.
Penn State vs. Florida
The Nittany Lions own a 5-3 record against the Gators. The two squads first met in 1986 with Penn State winning 3-1 (15-12, 12-15, 15-4, 15-12). Florida and Penn State last met in 2003 in the NCAA East Regional in Gainesville. Florida won the match, 3-0 (30-21, 30-24, 30-16).
The Series vs. Possible Regional Finals Opponents
Baylor
The Nittany Lions are 2-0 against Baylor. The teams first met on Sept. 20, 1996 in the Penn State Classic with PSU winning 3-0 (15-5, 15-5, 15-11). Their last meeting occured on Dec. 4, 1999 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lions won, 3-0 (15-2, 15-6, 15-10) and went on to win the program's first national championship.
California
PSU is also 2-0 against California. The teams first met in Dec. 13, 2007 in the NCAA National Semifinal. Penn State won, 3-0 (30-28, 30-25, 30-16) and went on to win the 2007 National Title. The squads met exactly one year later in the NCAA East Regional Semifinal. The Lions won, 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-17) and two matches later won their third national championship.
What's Next
If Penn State defeats Florida, it'll face the winner of the Baylor/California match on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 4 p.m. If the Nittany Lions win the Regional Final, they advance to the NCAA National Semifinals in Tampa, Fla. on Dec. 17. The National Championship match is scheduled for Dec. 19.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.