Oct. 4, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team (10-4, 3-1) is back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 5 against Northwestern. The match is set for 8 p.m. and will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Tickets are available in advance by calling 1-800-NITTANY or are available at the Rec Hall ticket office prior to the match. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and groups. Group tickets can be purchased in advance for $4.
The match has been declared a White Out. All fans are encouraged to wear white to Wednesday's match.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Nittany Lions are now 10-4 overall defeating both Wisconsin and then No. 10 Minnesota last weekend at Rec Hall. Penn State swept both of their Big Ten opponents to improve to 3-1 in league play. Sophomore Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) led the team with 26 kills, while her classmate Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) totaled 17 kills with a team-high .714 attack percentage. Freshman Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 58 assists and registered six aces. She was also one of four Nittany Lions to total double-digit digs with 13. Sophomore Ali Longo(Littleton, Colo.) led the team with 15 digs and Slay was a wall at the net with 12 total blocks. Scott wasn't far behind with 10 total blocks.
For the week, Penn State hit .269 as a team and averaged 13.17 kills per set, 11.00 assists per set, 2.50 aces per set, 12.50 digs per set and 4.33 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Northwestern
Penn State leads the series with the Wildcats, 40-8. The Nittany Lions have won 16 straight matches against Northwestern dating back to 2003. Northwestern's last win against Penn State came on Nov. 23, 2002 in a 3-1 victory in Evanston.
Scouting the Wildcats
The Wildcats are 10-5 overall in 2011 and are 1-3 in Big Ten action. Northwestern opened the season with five consecutive sweeps before losing back-to-back matches to Central Arkansas and Ole Miss. The Wildcats closed out the preseason with four wins in a row before falling to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Purdue to open conference play. Northwestern heads into Wednesday's match having most recently defeated Indiana, 3-0, on Oct. 1.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions remain at home on Saturday, Oct. 8 when they host No. 1 Illinois at 8 p.m. The 2010 NCAA Championship banner will be raised prior to the start of the match.
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.