Oct. 11, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) welcomes No. 17 Purdue and Indiana on Oct. 12-13, respectively. The Nittany Lions face the Boilermakers at 8 p.m. on Friday before facing the Hoosiers at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Penn State's match with Purdue will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased in advance via phone at 1-800-NITTANY or in person at the Athletic Ticket Office at the Bryce Jordan Center. The tickets can also be purchased prior to the match at Rec Hall. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and groups.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Penn State women's volleyball team improved to 16-1 and 6-0 in the Big Ten with two victories against two Big Ten foes. The Nittany Lions swept Northwestern on Oct. 5 and finished off No. 21 Illinois on Oct. 6, 3-2. Junior Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) led Penn State with 3.62 kills per set, and not far behind were teammates junior Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.), who posted 3.25 kills per set, and junior Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.), who had 2.62. Sophomore Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 11.25 assists per set and 2.25 digs per set. On defense, Dominique Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) averaged a squad-high 3.00 digs per set, while McClendon had 2.50 digs per set. Slay was strong at the net with a Nittany Lion-best 1.75 blocks per set.
For the weekend, the Nittany Lions hit .269 and averaged 14.00 kills, 13.00 assists, 1.12 aces, 13.12 digs and 2.56 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Purdue
Penn State leads the series with Penn State 46-6. Purdue's last win against Penn State was Oct, 8, 2010 with the Boilermakers winning, 3-2.
Last Five Meetings
• PSU 3-1, at Purdue, Nov. 20, 2009
• Purdue 3-2, at Purdue, Oct. 8, 2010
• PSU 3-1, at PSU, Oct. 30, 2010
• PSU 3-1, at Purdue, Oct. 14, 2011
• PSU 3-1, at PSU, Nov. 19, 2011
Scouting the Boilermakers
Purdue currently holds a 13-4 overall record and is 4-2 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers were undefeated in conference play, with four straight league wins to Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, and Illinois, until Purdue suffered two straight shut outs by Nebraska and Iowa on Oct. 5-6, respectively.
Penn State vs. Indiana
The Nittany Lions are 43-1 all-time against the Hoosiers. Penn State has won four of the last five matches. Penn State's last win was a 3-0 sweep on Nov. 18, 2011 at home in Rec Hall.
Last Five Meetings
• PSU 3-0, at Indiana, Nov. 21, 2009
• Indiana 3-1, at Indiana Oct. 9, 2010
• PSU 3-0, at PSU, Oct. 29, 2010
• PSU 3-0, at Indiana, Oct. 15, 2011
• PSU 3-0, at PSU, Nov. 18, 2011
Scouting the Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are 8-10 overall this season and currently hold a 0-6 record in Big Ten action. The Hoosiers have not won a game since Sept 15, with non-conference victories over Chattanooga and Miami.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions head out on the road on Oct. 17 to take on No. 19 Ohio State. The match vs. the Buckeyes is scheduled for 8 p.m.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2012 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets.
The Penn State women's volleyball team is on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us @PennStateVBALL and at www.facebook.com/pennstatewomensvolleyball.