Nov. 11, 2011
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The ninth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team (18-7, 11-4 Big Ten) suffered a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 28-26) setback to seventh-ranked Illinois (23-3, 12-3 Big Ten). Sophomore Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) led the team with 17 kills.
Freshman Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) paced the offense with 35 assists and had a team-best three aces. She is now ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten for aces in a single season. Sophomore Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) had a match-high 17 kills, while sophomore Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) posted 11. Scott also led the team with three blocks.
Penn State hit .248 against Illinois and recorded 45 kills, nine aces, 45 digs and 5.0 total team blocks. Illinois closed out the match hitting .340 with 42 kills, six aces, 50 digs and 3.0 team blocks.
The Nittany Lions got off to a great start in the first set with a 6-2 lead, which sent the Illini to the bench for an early timeout. Penn State continued to maintain the lead until midway through the frame when a 4-0 Illinois run had the Illini in the lead, 14-13. Penn State called a timeout and a kill from senior Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.) had the score tied at 14-14. A PSU service error put Illinois back in front and the Illini would maintain control for the remainder of the set. Penn State came within two four times before a 3-0 run put Illinois ahead by five, 23-18. The Nittany Lions scored three final points, two off Illinois service errors and one courtesy of a kill by freshman Aiyana Whitney (Norwood, N.J.), before the Illini won the set, 25-21.
Penn State took a 2-0 lead in set two, but a 7-1 Illinois run saw the Illini with a 7-3 advantage. Penn State called a timeout and closed the gap to three, 9-6, but a 5-2 Illinois run had the Illini with a six-point lead, 14-8. Penn State called another timeout and slowed Illinois enough to come within two, 18-16. Kills from sophomore Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.), freshman Nia Grant (Warren, Ohio), McClendon and Scott aided the Nittany Lions. Illinois called a timeout, but a joint stuff by McClendon and Grant had the Lions within one, 18-17. A 3-1 Illinois run moved the Illini ahead by three, 21-18, but Penn State capitalized on one kill each from Hancock and Scott and two straight from Whitney to tie the set at 23-23. Illinois called a second timeout and a kill from Erin Johnson and a PSU error secured set two for the Illini, 25-23.
The third from started off close, but a 6-0 run by the Illini had Illinois leading by six, 10-4. The Illinois lead grew to seven, 13-6, before a 3-0 run brought Penn State within four, 13-9. The Nittany Lions continued to trail through the middle of the frame and called a timeout when trailing 18-12. McClendon pounded a kill and Scott tallied an ace, but an Illini kill prevented a Penn State run. However, two more Penn State kills had the Lions within three, 19-16, and Illinois calling a timeout. Grant and Hancock teamed up for a block to bring Penn State within two, 19-17, but an Illinois kill put the Illini back up by three, 20-17. The teams traded points until a Slay kill and a Hancock ace moved Penn State back within two, 22-20, and Illinois heading to the bench. Scott and Slay followed the break with a block to make it a one-point set, 22-21. Liz McMahon moved Illinois back up by two, 23-21, but a Scott kill and a Illinois error had the score at 23 all. McMahon pushed the Illini back into the lead, 24-23, but McClendon kept the set alive with a kill. The score tied twice more before two straight Illinois kills closed out the third set for Illinois, 28-26.
Penn State is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Northwestern. Action is set for 8 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.