Oct. 28, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 9 Penn State women's volleyball team is back in action at Rec Hall this weekend with matches against Big Ten foes Indiana and Purdue. The Nittany Lions take on Indiana at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 and hosts the Boilermakers on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m.
Live stats will be available for all matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com and Friday's match with Indiana will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com. For Friday's match with Indiana, fans are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween costumes for a Costume Contest. The Penn State men's and women's gymnastics teams will select their top seven favorite costumes and the crowd will decide the winner.
The "Rally in the Valley" football pep rally will follow the 6:30 p.m. Penn State-Indiana women's volleyball match. The first 5,500 fans who either remain at the volleyball match or arrive at Rec Hall will be admitted. The rally will feature Coach Joe Paterno the Penn State football team, Penn State cheerleaders, Lionettes dance team, the Blue Band, and the Nittany Lion. T-shirts will be given away at the pep rally.
Nittany Lion Preview
The three-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team hosts Indiana and Purdue this weekend at Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions improved to 17-4 overall with a 7-3 record in league play with a 3-0 sweep at Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 23. So far this season, three Nittany Lions are averaging 2.79 kills per set or more, including senior Blair Brown who leads the team with 3.73 kills per set. Freshman Deja McClendon is not far behind with 3.52 kills per set and senior Arielle Wilson is averaging 2.79 kills per set. Sophomore Kristin Carpenter has been the primary setter this season, averaging 10.68 assists per set. She has guided three of her primary hitters to a .303 hitting percentage or better. Senior libero Alyssa D'Errico has a team-high 3.94 digs per set, while there are three middle hitters averaging at least 1.24 blocks per set including Wilson (1.24 bps), senior Fatima Balza (1.24 bps) and freshman Katie Slay (1.39 bps).
Penn State vs. Indiana
The Nittany Lions are 40-1 all-time against the Hoosiers dating back to 1982. Indiana won its first match against Penn State in its program history on Oct. 9 when the Hoosiers defeated the Nittany Lions, 3-1, in Bloomington. The match marked only the sixth time in series history a match went beyond three sets.
Scouting the Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are 17-5 overall with a 5-5 record in league play in 2010. Indiana is 1-4 on the road in conference play, with its single road win coming in a 3-0 sweep at Wisconsin. The Hoosiers other Big Ten wins came against Ohio State, PSU, Michigan and Michigan State. Indiana ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks per set (2.63) and aces per set (1.41).
Penn State vs. Purdue
The Nittany Lions own a 43-6 record against the Boilermakers dating back to 1981. Earlier this season, Purdue defeated the Nittany Lions 3-2 for its first win against Penn State since 1987. Prior to the setback, Penn State had won 42 consecutive matches against the Boilermakers.
Scouting the Boilermakers
The Boilermakers are 14-7 overall with a 5-5 record in conference play so far this season. Purdue is 1-4 against nationally-ranked teams, with its sole win coming against the Nittany Lions. In the Big Ten, Purdue has wins against Indiana, Iowa, PSU, Ohio State and Michigan State. The Boilermakers are 2-4 on the road in league play. The Boilermakers rank in the top five in the conference in digs per set (15.00) and blocks (2.63).
Penn State Recap
The Nittany Lions earned a convincing 3-0 sweep of Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 23 in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Brown and McClendon led the team with 12 kills apiece, while Wilson had 10 kills. Balza led the team in hitting with six kills in seven errorless attempts for a .857 hitting percentage. Carpenter dished out 40 assists and D'Errico led the team with 18 digs. Balza had a match-high six total blocks and Brown finished the night with five, including two solo.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions are back on the road at Michigan and Michigan State Nov. 5-6. Penn State faces the Wolverines on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. and takes on the Spartans a day later at 6:30 p.m.
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.