Sept. 23, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
The No. 2 Penn State women's volleyball team is back begins Big Ten play this weekend with trips to No. 9 Illinois on Friday, Sept. 24 and Wisconsin on Sunday, Sept. 26. The Nittany Lions take on the Illini at 8 p.m. ET and the Badgers at 2 p.m. ET.
Live stats will be available for all matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com. Friday's match at Illinois will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com and will re-air on the Big Ten Network Sunday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. Sunday's match at Wisconsin will air on the Big Ten Network Sunday night at 9 p.m.
Nittany Lion Preview
The three-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team aims to extend its 65-match Big Ten winning streak in matches at No. 9 Illinois and Wisconsin. Penn State's match at Illinois will air on the Big Ten Network on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. followed by its match at Wisconsin at 9 p.m.
PSU improved to 10-1 after earning straight set wins against George Washinton, Princeton and St. John's in the Rockvale Outlets Classic Sept. 17-18. So far this season, three Nittany Lions are averaging 2.50 kills per set or more, including senior Blair Brown who leads the team with 3.56 kills per set. Freshman Deja McClendon is not far behind with 3.45 kills per set and senior Arielle Wilson is averaging 2.50 kills per set. Sophomore Kristin Carpenter has been the primary setter this season, averaging 9.60 assists per set. She has guided three of her primary hitters to a .348 hitting percentage or better. Senior libero Alyssa D'Errico has a team-high 4.24 digs per set and senior Fatima Balza leads the team at the net with 1.48 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Illinois
The Nittany Lions are 36-6 all-time against the Illini. Penn State won the first meeting on Halloween in 1981, 3-0. Illinois won their first match against the Nittany Lions on Dec. 1, 1981, 3-0. The Illini last defeated Penn State on Oct. 10, 2003 winning 3-1. Penn State has since won the last 13 meetings with only two matches going beyond three sets.
Scouting the Illini
Illinois is 8-2 overall heading into Friday's match with the Nittany Lions. The Illini opened the season 3-0 with wins against BYU, South Carolina and Middle Tennessee State in the State Farm Illini Classic. Illinois traveled to the University of Texas in their second weekend of action and defeated nationally-ranked Texas and Florida A&M to remain undefeated. Illinois went on to defeat Western Michigan and nationally-ranked Dayton before suffering a 3-2 setback to powerhouse Nebraska on Sept. 11. Illinois lost to Cincinnati, 3-2, on Sept. 17 before taking down Louisville on Sept. 18 in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.
Penn State vs. Wisconsin
Penn State owns a 35-6 record against the Badgers dating back to 1986. Penn State won the first 16 matches before Wisconsin earned its first victory Oct. 31, 1997. The Nittany Lions are 14-5 in Madison and have defeated the Badgers in their last three visits. Penn State has won 12 of the last 13 meetings between the two squads.
Scouting the Badgers
Wisconsin is 11-0 heading into its first weekend of Big Ten action. The Badgers swept all but three of their preseason opponents. Most recently, Wisconsin defeated Northern Illinois and Green Bay. The Badgers will take on Ohio State on Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. CT before welcoming the Nittany Lions to UW Field House on Sept. 26.
Penn State Recap
The Nittany Lions continued their home winning streak extending it to 80 consecutive matches with sweeps of George Washington, Princeton and St. John's in the Rockvale Outlets Classic on Sept. 17-18. Senior Blair Brown led Penn State with 30 kills (3.33 kills per set), while freshman Deja McClendon was second on the team with 25 kills (3.12 kills per set) and a team-best .524 attack percentage. Sophomore Kristin Carpenter dished out 68 assists (9.71 assists per set) and senior libero Alyssa D'Errico totaled 30 digs (3.33 digs per set). Senior Fatima Balza was a wall at the net with 14 blocks (2.33 blocks per set) and junior Katie Kabbes was second on the team with 13 blocks (1.44 blocks per set).
What's Next?
Penn State continues conference play at home on Oct. 1 when it hosts Michigan State at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions welcome Michigan to Rec Hall on Saturday, Oct. 2 for a 6 p.m. meeting.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.