Nov. 22, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The four-time defending national champion Penn State women's volleyball team (21-7, 14-4 Big Ten) travels to Ohio State for a midweek matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Action is set for 7 p.m. in Ohio State's St. John Arena.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Nittany Lions improved to 21-7 overall with a 14-4 record in Big Ten play after sweeping Indiana on Nov. 18 and defeating then No. 8 Purdue, 3-1, on Nov. 19 to close out their Big Ten home slate. Sophomore Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) led the Nittany Lions with 31 kills on .356 hitting. She was also second on the team with 17 digs and six blocks. Freshman Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 85 assists while guiding the Nittany Lion offense to a .324 hitting percentage for the weekend. She also tallied five aces and 15 digs. On defense, sophomore Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) posted a team-best 37 digs, including a career-high 26 against Purdue. Sophomore Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) was a wall at the net with 15 total blocks.
For the week, Penn State hit .324 as a team and averaged 14.57 kills per set, 13.86 assists per set, 1.71 aces per set, 16.43 digs per set and 2.43 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Ohio State
The Nittany Lions are 37-14 all-time versus the Buckeyes dating back to 1981. The Nittany Lions had won 13 of the last 14 meetings. Ohio State's last win against PSU came on Nov. 8, 2006. The two squads met earlier this season on Oct. 19 at Rec Hall. Penn State earned a 3-0 win against the then No. 23 Buckeyes.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State is currently 18-13 overall with a 8-10 record in Big Ten action. The Buckeyes opened the season with an 11-3 record, including a Big Ten season-opening win at Iowa. Ohio State has additional conference wins against Minnesota, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions await their fate in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA will announce the tournament field on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. on ESPNews. The NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds are scheduled for the weekend of Dec. 1-3.
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.