Oct. 7, 2011
Complete Release in pdf format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team (11-4, 4-1) welcome the top-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini to Rec Hall on Saturday, Oct. 8. The match is set for an 8 p.m. start and will be tape-delayed and broadcast on the Big Ten Network on Monday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased in advance by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Fans can also purchase tickets at the Rec Hall ticket office prior to the match on Saturday. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth.
For fans planning to attend the women's volleyball match after the Penn State football game vs. Iowa (3:30 p.m.), the CATA Blue Loop will not be running near the stadium until at least one hour after the game. However, the Blue Loop will be running downtown as usual. Fans interested in taking the Blue Loop to Rec Hall should board at the intersection of College Ave and Heister St. Following the match, the Blue Loop will be running its normal route and can take fans from Rec Hall to stadium parking areas and downtown.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Nittany Lions are now 11-4 overall after defeating Northwestern, 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 13-25, 15-11) on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Sophomore Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) was one of three Nittany Lions with double-digit kills with 16. Sophomore Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) posted 13 and sophomore Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) had 10. Freshman Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 43 assists and tallied all four of the team's aces. Sophomore Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) led the team with 18 digs, while Scott had 13 and sophomore Maddie Martin (Tampa, Fla.) had a career-high 11. Slay was a wall at the net with eight total blocks and Scott was second on the team with four.
Against Northwestern, Penn State hit .229 as a team and averaged 11.80 kills per set, 11.60 assists per set, 0.80 aces per set, 14.80 digs per set and 2.20 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Illinois
The Nittany Lions are 37-7 all-time versus the Fighting Illini. Last season, Penn State split its two matches suffering a 3-2 loss at Illinois' Huff Hall to open Big Ten play, but sweeping the Illini at home in Rec Hall later in the season. The Illini's win against Penn State was their first win against the Lions since Oct. 10, 2003.
Scouting the Fighting Illini
The top-ranked Illinois women's volleyball team is undefeated this season with a 15-0 overall record and a 4-0 record in the Big Ten. Despite opening conference play going five sets with Minnesota for the win, the Illini swept Wisconsin on Sept. 25 before defeating both Indiana and Purdue three sets to one.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions continue conference play on the road on Oct. 14-15 when they visit Indiana and Purdue. Penn State returns home for a four-match home stand beginning with Ohio State on Wednesday, 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.