Aug. 25, 2011
Weekly Release
AVCA Showcase Central
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The four-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team is back in action in 2011. The Nittany Lions open the 2011 season hosting the Rockvale Outlets/AVCA College Volleyball Showcase at Rec Hall. The Showcase begins at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 with a match between No. 12 Minnesota and No. 2 USC. Penn State jumpstarts the season immediately after taking on Pac-10 foe Oregon at 8 p.m. On Aug. 27, the Gophers will face the Ducks at 6 p.m. with the Nittany Lions challenging the Trojans at 8 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased prior to the match at the Rec Hall ticket office. Adult tickets are $8 and Youth (18 and under) tickets are $5. Penn State Students are Free with ID+ card. Groups of 15 or more can be purchased at the door and are $5 each.
Nittany Lion Preview
Head coach Russ Rose, in his 33rd season leading the women's volleyball program, welcomes back 10 letterwinners, including five returners with starting experience for the 2011 season. Included in the group are 2010 AVCA Division I Freshman of the Year Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.), NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team member Kristin Carpenter (Mechanicsville, Va.), senior captain Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.) and sophomore Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) and Katie Slay (Raliegh, N.C.). Other returners include senior defensive specialist Megan Shifflett (Falls Church, Va.), junior setter Marika Racibarskas (Chatham, N.J.) , redshirt sophomore outside hitter Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.), sophomore outside hitter Maddie Martin (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore defensive specialist Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) and redshirt freshmen Maggie Harding (State College, Pa.) and Erica Denney (Aurora, Colo.). Joining the squad this year are five newcomers, including defensive specialists Lacey Fuller (San Diego, Calif.) and Dominique Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas), setter and outside hitter Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) and outside hitters Nia Grant (Warren, Ohio) and Aiyana Whitney (Norwood, N.J.).
The Nittany Lions are coming off a season where they posted a 32-5 record, won their fourth consecutive and fifth overall NCAA title and secured their 14th straight Big Ten Championship.
Last season, Penn State finished the year ranked second in the nation with a .314 hitting percentage. The Nittany Lions ranked fifth in blocks per set with an average of 3.01 and finished in the top 15 at 14th with 14.34 kills per set. Former Nittany Lion Arielle Wilson ranked fourth nationally in hitting percentage at .425. She holds the record for career hitting percentage at .468. Blair Brown's 4.24 kills per set ranked 21st, while Carpenter's 11.52 assists per set ranked 16th.
Penn State vs. Oregon
The Nittany Lions own a 1-0 record all-time against the Ducks. The squads first met on Sept. 21, 1985 with Penn State earning a 3-0 (15-3, 15-6, 16-14) victory.
Scouting the Ducks
Oregon returns five starters, including the libero, from the 2010 season. The Ducks went 19-11 last season, finishing seventh in the Pac-10 with a 7-11 record in league play.
Penn State vs. USC
USC holds a 2-1 lead in the series between the Trojans and the Nittany Lions. The teams last met in the 2005 Hawaiian Airlines Classic on Aug. 31. The Nittany Lions went 3-1 (30-23, 30-27, 28-30, 30-28) against the Trojans to earn the program's first win against USC.
Scouting the Trojans
No. 2 USC welcomes back six starters plus the libero from last season. The Trojans finished with an overall record of 29-5 and earned a spot in the NCAA National Semifinals where they met Cal. USC finished third in the Pac-10 with a 14-4 record.
What's Next?
Penn State is back in action at the University of Pittsburgh Invitational on Sept. 2-3 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Nittany Lions face Miami (Ohio) and Pittsburgh of Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. On Saturday, Sept. 3, the Lions take on New Hampshire at 10 a.m.
The Nittany Lions remain on the road the weekend of Sept. 9-10, traveling to Palo Alto, Calif. for the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic hosted by Stanford. Penn State challenges the Cardinal on Sept. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET and will face either Texas or Florida on Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2011 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets.