Nov. 4, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 9 Penn State women's volleyball team is back on the road traveling to No. 15 Michigan and Michigan State on Nov. 5 and 6, respectively. The Nittany Lions face the Wolverines on Friday at 7 p.m. and take on the Spartans Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Live stats will be available for all matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com.
Nittany Lion Preview
The three-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team travels to No. 15 Michigan and Michigan State this weekend. Friday's match will be tape-delayed and aired on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Nittany Lions improved to 19-4 overall with a 9-3 record in league play with a 3-0 sweep of Indiana on Friday, Oct. 29 and a 3-1 win against Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 30. The Nittany Lions are just one win away from their 34th consecutive 20-win season. So far in 2010, three Nittany Lions are averaging 2.77 kills per set or more, including senior Blair Brown who leads the team with 3.90 kills per set. Freshman Deja McClendon is not far behind with 3.46 kills per set and senior Arielle Wilson is averaging 2.77 kills per set. Sophomore Kristin Carpenter has been the primary setter this season, averaging 10.86 assists per set. She has guided three of her primary hitters to a .307 hitting percentage or better. Senior libero Alyssa D'Errico has a team-high 3.99 digs per set, while there are three middle hitters averaging at least 1.16 blocks per set including Wilson (1.26 bps), senior Fatima Balza (1.16 bps) and freshman Katie Slay (1.43 bps).
Penn State vs. Michigan
The Nittany Lions are 39-3 all-time against the Wolverines. Penn State has not lost a match to Michigan since a 3-2 setback on Nov. 2, 2002. The Nittany Lions have since won 16 consecutive matches against the Wolverines, including a 3-0 sweep earlier this season on Oct. 2. Penn State is 16-3 against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor and a perfect 22-0 at home in Rec Hall.
Scouting the Wolverines
The 15th-ranked Wolverines are 20-4 overall with a 9-3 record in Big Ten play. Michigan is 3-2 against nationally-ranked opponents with wins against then No. 14 Minnesota, No. 6 Illinois and No. 20 Northwestern. The Wolverines' two losses to nationally-ranked opponents came at the hands of Penn State and in it's second meeting with Illinois. The Wolverines have won six of their last eight matches heading into Friday's meeting with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State vs. Michigan State
Penn State is 34-6 all-time against the Spartans. The Nittany Lions haven't lost a match to MSU since Nov. 1, 2002, a 3-2 setback in East Lansing, Mich. Earlier this season, Penn State swept the Spartans at home in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions haven't lost a set to the Spartans since a 3-1 win on Oct. 16, 2004. Penn State is 15-4 against the Spartans in East Lansing.
Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State is 11-12 overall and 3-9 against Big Ten opponents. The Spartans have faced eight nationally-ranked opponents this season, including Hawaii, USC, Minnesota, Penn State, Illinois, Michigan, and Northwestern. Their lone win against a nationally-ranked opponent was a 3-0 sweep of Northwestern on Oct. 16. MSU's other two conference wins came against Wisconsin and Iowa.
Penn State Recap
The Nittany Lions earned a 3-0 sweep of Indiana and a 3-1 victory against Purdue on Oct. 29-30. Brown led Penn State with 39 kills, averaging 5.57 kills per set, while McClendon posted 20 kills and Wilson had 18. Carpenter dished out 88 assists and D'Errico recorded a team-best 31 digs, averaging 4.43 digs per set. Wilson led the team at the net with 10 total blocks, good enough for 1.43 blocks per set.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions are back home in Rec Hall for four straight matches. Up first is the Dig Pink match against Wisconsin on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. with a match with the Illini at 6 p.m. on Nov. 13.
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.