Nov. 15, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 2 Penn State women's volleyball team (25-2, 15-1 Big Ten) hits the road this weekend for visits to Indiana and No. 21 Purdue. The Nittany Lions face the Hoosiers (12-16, 4-12 Big Ten) on Friday, Nov. 16 and the Boilermakers (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten) on Saturday, Nov. 17. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. starts.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Penn State women's volleyball team is now 25-2 overall and 15-1 in the Big Ten after a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-14) sweep of Illinois on Nov. 8 and a 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-16) win against Northwestern on Nov. 10. Junior Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) led the team with 19 kills, while junior Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) and sophomore Nia Grant each tallied 14. Sophomore setter Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 52 assists, while sophomore Dominique Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) had a team-high 24 digs. Hancock and sophomore Lacey Fuller (San Diego, Calif.) tied for second on the team with 13 digs apiece. Junior Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) and Scott put up eight blocks each.
For the weekend, the Nittany Lions hit .310 and averaged 12.83 kills, 10.83 assists, 1.50 aces, 14.17 digs and 3.33 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Indiana
Penn State owns a 44-1 record against the Hoosiers dating back to 1982. The Nittany Lions had never lost a match to Indiana until a 3-1 loss in Bloomington during the 2010 season. Penn State has won the last four meetings in three sets each.
Last Five Meetings
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
PSU 3-0, at PSU, Oct. 13, 2012
Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana owns a 12-16 record overall in 2012 and are 4-12 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers have won two of their last four matches, including a 3-0 sweep at Iowa on Nov. 10 and a 3-0 win at Northwestern on Nov. 2. In between, the Hoosiers took both the Illini and Huskers to four sets, but were unable to pull out the wins.
Penn State vs. Purdue
Penn State leads the series with the Boilermakers, 47-6. The Nittany Lions have won the last four meetings after suffering a 3-2 setback at Purdue in 2010. Penn State hosted the Boilermakers on Nov. 12 and won, 3-0.
Last Five Meetings
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
PSU 3-0, at PSU, Oct. 12, 2012
Scouting the Boilermakers
The Boilermakers are currently ranked No. 21 in the nation. Purdue is 19-8 overall and 10-6 in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have won five of their last six matches, including wins against Michigan (3-0), Michigan State (3-2), Illinois (3-2), Northwestern (3-0) and Iowa (3-0). Nebraska snapped the win streak with a 3-2 win on Nov. 10.
What's Next?
Penn State closes out the regular season at home this year. The Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. before challenging Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 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.