Nov. 23, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) hosts Michigan State in its regular season finale on Saturday, Nov. 24. Action is set for 8 p.m. in Rec Hall. The squad's two seniors will be honored prior to the match. The match will be streamed live at GoPSUsports.com.
Nittany Lion Preview
The Penn State women's volleyball team is now 28-2 overall and 18-1 in the Big Ten after a 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-14) sweep of Ohio State on Nov. 21. Junior Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) had a team-best 5.00 kills per set, while junior Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) averaged 3.67 kills per set. Sophomore Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 11.33 assists per set as Penn State hit .396. Sophomore Dominique Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) led Penn State with 3.66 digs per set and freshman Megan Courtney (Dayton, Ohio) and junior Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.) posted 1.67 blocks per set.
For the match, the Nittany Lions hit .396 and averaged 15.67 kills, 14.33 assists, 2.33 aces, 12.00 digs and 3.16 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Michigan State Penn State leads the series with Michigan State 36-6 dating back to 1985. The Nittany Lions have won the last 17 matches dating back to Sept. 26, 2003. All but five of those matches were 3-0 sweeps.
Last Five Meetings
PSU 3-0, at MSU, Oct. 17, 2009
PSU 3-0, at PSU, Nov. 27, 2009
PSU 3-0, at PSU, Oct. 1, 2010
PSU 3-1, at MSU, Nov. 6, 2010
PSU 3-1, at MSU, Nov. 26, 2011
Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State owns a 23-8 record this season and is 11-8 in the Big Ten. The Spartans have won seven of their last nine matches, including defeating nationally-ranked Nebraska and Minnesota. Michigan State fell to Michigan, 3-0, on Nov. 21.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions have clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament with the Big Ten Championship win. The NCAA will announce the tournament field on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. The NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds are scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 30-Dec. 1.
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.