Oct. 21, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The four-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team remains at home on Saturday, Oct. 22 to take on No. 21 Michigan at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The match continues a four match home stand for the Nittany Lions (14-5, 7-2 Big Ten). The Lions remain at home on Oct. 28-29 to face Iowa and nationally-ranked Nebraska.
The match will be streamed live on ESPN3.com and will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 1-800-NITTANY or prior to the match at the Rec Hall ticket office. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and groups.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Nittany Lions own a 14-5 overall record after defeating No. 23 Ohio State, 3-0, on Oct. 19 at Rec Hall. Sophomore Nia Grant (Warren, Ohio) tied for first on the team with sophomore Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) with nine kills apiece. Sophomore Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) was second on the team with eight. Freshman Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 32 assists, while sophomore Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) led the team with nine digs. Slay led the team in blocks with eight and Scott posted five.
Against Ohio State Penn State hit .389 as a team and averaged 15.00 kills per set, 13.67 assists per set, 1.00 ace per set, 9.67 digs per set and 3.33 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Michigan
The Nittany Lions are 40-3 all-time against the Wolverines. Penn State has won 17 straight matches against Michigan. The Wolverines last defeated the Nittany Lions Nov. 2, 2002 in five set. Penn State is 22-0 against Michigan in the confines of Rec Hall.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan is 15-6 overall with a 3-6 record in the Big Ten. The Wolverines opened 2011 winning 13 straight matches, including their conference opener against Indiana, before then No. 13 Purdue handed them a 3-0 loss on Sept. 24. Michigan rallied with a sweep of Iowa, but went on to lose four consecutive league matches against Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois. The Wolverines defeated Northwestern, 3-2, on Oct. 15 before suffering a 3-1 loss at Michigan State on Oct. 19.
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.