Oct. 23, 2014
| #7 PENN STATE VS MICHIGAN | |
| Friday, Oct. 24 - 7 p.m. ET | |
| Rec Hall | University Park, Pa. | |
| Game Day Information: Tickets | Bag Policy | Parking | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| TV: BTN (Mike Wolf, Audrey Flaugh) |
| Live Video | |
| Connect: @PennStateVBALL | Facebook | Instagram | Blog |
| Notes: Penn State | Michigan |
| #7 PENN STATE vs. MICHIGAN STATE | |
| Saturday, Oct. 25 - 5:30 p.m. ET | |
| Rec Hall | University Park, Pa. | |
| Game Day Information: Tickets | Bag Policy | Parking | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
TV: ESPN2 -->Live Audio (MSU) |Connect: @PennStateVBALL | Facebook | Instagram | BlogNotes: Penn State | Michigan State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 7 Penn State women's volleyball (18-3, 6-2) returns home from the road to host a pair of Big Ten conference opponents. The Nittany Lions welcome Michigan (10-8, 5-3) Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. before hosting Michigan State (12-7, 5-3) Saturday, Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in Rec Hall. This weekend's annual "Dig Pink" match on Friday evening against the Wolverines will also broadcast live on the Big Ten Network with Mike Wolf and Audrey Flaugh on the call.
Friday's "Dig Pink" match will feature free rally towels and pink shakers for fan as well as pink t-shirts for purchase. The Nittany Lions will also host a silent auction featuring PSU game-worn pink warmups. Proceeds go directly toward Penn State's "Dig Pink" profile via the Side-Out Foundation. Fans can make donations directly to the PSU profile at, http://bit.ly/1vngCDn.
QUICK SETS
* Penn State went 2-0 on the road last weekend, topping then-No. 14 Purdue in a close five-setter to earn its fifth win of the 2014 season against a ranked opponent. With the victory, PSU improved to 5-3 in 2014 against teams ranked within the AVCA Top 25. Penn State then earned its 15th straight set win of the season with a 3-0 win at Indiana.
* Averaging 1.07 aces per set, senior Micha Hancock has once again secured herself as the nation's leader in the category for the sixth consecutive week. With more aces than another in the NCAA standings (76) this year, her mark also leads the conference.
* As a team, Penn State is averaging 1.97 aces per set, which ranks second nationally and leads the conference.
* Penn State's .346 hitting percentage leads the nation and ranks first in the Big Ten. Additionally, two PSU attackers are presently hitting .355 or higher, led by senior Nia Grant's .479 hitting percentage, which ranks second nationally and leads the Big Ten.
* In the Nittany Lions' third B1G road trip of the season, Penn State collected a pair of wins to move to 5-1 on the road in conference contests. Since kicking off the 2014 Big Ten slate with a challenging four-match road-swing, PSU has matched up against a ranked team in six of its last eight matches.
* Penn State remains No. 7 in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week after spending one week ranked fifth. Prior to the No. 5 positioning, the Nittany Lions spend four straight weeks ranked third.
* The Nittany Lions are among eight teams (Michigan-RV) from the Big Ten conference to be represented in this week's AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll and one of three within the top 10.
* With 1,143 wins, head coach Russ Rose is presently in possession of first place on the DI NCAA all-time wins list ahead of current Hawaii head coach Dave Shoji (1,140). The two active head coaches have traded the top spot throughout the season.
NITTANY LIONS BRINING THE HEAT
Senior setter Micha Hancock has paced the Nittany Lions to a .346 hitting clip, which ranks first in the nation, while also leading the Big Ten. Hancock's also paced two top Nittany Lion hitters to.355 or better efficiency, led by senior Nia Grant's .479 hitting clip, which ranks second nationally and first in the conference. Redshirt junior Aiyana Whitney rounds out the pair with a .355 hitting percentage, which is slotted eighth in the Big Ten standings.
DEFENDING THE HOUSE
Including an 8-1 mark in 2014, Penn State owns a 554-33 (.944) all-time record at home in Rec Hall. Following a straight-set victory against No. 24 Northwestern, the Nittany Lions hold a 250-18 (.933) mark in Big Ten matches on the court in Rec Hall.
Only one Big Ten team has defeated the Nittany Lions on their home court more than three times (Ohio State/5). Penn State has posted unblemished records in Big Ten play at home in seven of the last 10 years, winning 186 of 200 matches in the 10-year stretch. In the past five seasons, Penn State has captured 90 wins in 100 total conference tilts with fewer than five league losses in each year.
SHE CAN DIG IT!
Leading the team in digs in 17 of 21 matches this season, senior libero Dominique Gonzalez highlighted the Big Ten season opener with her third 20-dig performance of the season against then-No. 5 Wisconsin, before following with a season-high mark of 26 digs in a 3-1 win at No. 17 Minnesota. Having broken into the conference standings three weeks ago, she presently leads the squad with 3.58 digs per frame, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten.
ROSE ATOP THE NCAA DI ALL-TIME LIST
With 1,143 wins, head coach Russ Rose is atop the NCAA DI all-time wins record, with three more wins than current Hawaii head coach Dave Shoji (1,140). The two active head coaches have traded the top spot throughout the season. Both Rose and Shoji are the only two NCAA DI head coaches with more than 1,000 career wins. The two are each one of three active NCAA head coaches in all three divisions to have more than 1,100 career wins. Additionally, Rose owns the all-time record for NCAA DI career winning percentage, having posted a career clip of .864 in the past 35 seasons.
In 2013, head coach Russ Rose earned his 1,107th victory with a straight-set win at Northwestern, moving him into sole possession of second place on the NCAA DI career wins list. With the triumph, he passed former UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski, who previously owned the record.
THE BEST SERVER IN THE NATION
After tallying 10 aces in a 2-0 weekend on the road, senior Micha Hancock is presently averaging 1.07 aces per set in 2014. Her mark ranks first nationally for the sixth consecutive week, while also ranking atop the Big Ten conference standings. Hancock closed out the last two weeks of the non-conference slate with back-to-back weeks featuring at least 21 aces.
Averaging 0.65 aces per set in 2013, Hancock finished last year ranked second nationally in aces per set. Her final tally also ranked first in the Big Ten. The impressive serving set a new program record. With four aces against Eastern Kentucky, she notched her 200th career service ace. Building on the mark throughout the season she moved into sole possession of first place on the Penn State all-time list with 254 aces to surpass Ellen Hensler, who previously set the record in 1986. With 76 aces in 2014, Hancock has improved her mark to 330 aces all-time to keep a firm hold on her all-time record.
WEEK 9: AVCA TOP 25 COACHES POLL UPDATE
Following a 2-0 weekend at home, Penn State remains No. 7 for the second straight week in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, after spending one week ranked fifth. Prior to the No. 5 positioning, the Nittany Lions spent four consecutive weeks ranked third. PSU spent the first two consecutive weeks of the season ranked No. 1 overall.
BUST OUT THE BROOMS
Penn State has earned 15 of its 18 (83%) victories this season in straight sets. Within those 15 sweeps, PSU has held five teams (Iona, William & Mary, Eastern Illinois, DePaul, East Carolina) to less than 40 total points scored in a single match. Last season, the Nittany Lions earned 23 of their 34 victories in 3-0 sweeps.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Penn State meets Big Ten conference opponent, Ohio State twice next week. The Nittany Lions host the Buckeyes Tuesday, Oct. 28 before traveling out to Columbus, Oct. 31.
Nittany Lion fans may also receive free admission to both matches this weekend with proof of their football ticket.