Dec. 11, 2012
VIDEO: Penn State NCAA Semifinals Central with VIDEO, Stats & More
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 seed Penn State women's volleyball team (33-2) heads to Louisville, Ky. on Thursday, Dec. 13 to take on fifth-seeded Oregon (29-4) in the NCAA National Semifinal. Action is set for 9 p.m. in Louisville's KFC Yum! Center.
Live stats will be available at GoPSUsports.com and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can listen to the match with Dean DeVore, Brian Tripp and former Nittany Lion Kate Price on WRSC-FM 103.1 and WRSC 1930 AM in State College and surrounding areas, and around the world for free on GoPSUsports.com.
Nittany Lion Preview
Penn State made its 15th appearance in the NCAA Regional Championship where it defeated No. 8 Minnesota 3-1. Penn State is now 78-26 all-time in NCAA tournament matches. The win secured Penn State a spot in the national semifinals for the 10th time in program history.
Penn State improved to 33-2 after a 3-0 sweep of No. 16 Kentucky and a 3-1 win against No. 8 Minnesota in the NCAA Regional Championship. Junior Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.) had a team-high 5.14 kills per set on .357 hitting. Junior Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) was second on the team with 3.14 kills per set. Sophomore Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.) dished out 10.57 assists per set, 2.86 digs per set and 1.00 aces per set. Sophomore Dominique Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas) averaged 4.57 digs per set, while both McClendon and sophomore Nia Grant (Warren, Ohio) had 1.00 blocks per set each.
For the weekend, the Nittany Lions hit .261 and averaged 14.14 kills, 13.14 assists, 1.54 aces, 16.43 digs and 3.00 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Oregon
Penn State owns a 1-1 record against the Ducks. The Nittany Lions first met Oregon on Sept. 21, 1985 and earned a 3-0 sweep. The Ducks visited Rec Hall on Aug. 26, 2011 to open the 2011 season and handed PSU a 3-1 setback and ending the Nittany Lions' 94 consecutive home match winning streak.
Last Two Meetings
PSU 3-0, neutral, Sept. 21, 1985
UO 3-1, at PSU, Aug. 26, 2011
Scouting the Ducks
The Ducks earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and are 29-4 overall this season. Oregon has defeated Northern Colorado (3-0), Dayton (3-0), BYU (3-1) and Nebraska (3-1) to advance in the tournament. This is Oregon's first ever appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals.
The series vs. Possible Second Round Opponents
Penn State vs. No. 3 Texas
Penn State leads the series with Texas, 10-7. The Nittany Lions met the Longhorns earlier this season in the Nike Big Four Classic and PSU earned a sweep. Penn State met Texas in the national semifinals in 2010 where the Lions won, 3-0, and also in the 2009 National Championship match where Penn State rallied for a 3-2 triumph.
Penn State vs. Michigan
Penn State owns a 42-3 record all-time against the Wolverines. The squads met earlier this season on Oct. 20 in Ann Arbor. Penn State defeated Michigan, 3-2.
What's Next?
Should the Nittany Lions defeat No. 5 Oregon on Thursday, Dec. 13, Penn State will face the winner of the No. 3 Texas/Michigan match on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in the KFC Yum! Center for the national title.
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.