Nov. 19, 2014
By Samantha DelRosso, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.-- There's much to be said about a team ranked first in the Big Ten in hitting percentage. How does a young squad like Penn State attack at a .355 percentage? There are many key components that drive the Nittany Lions' offensive success.
Scouting Before the first ball is served in a match, the Nittany Lions will study their opponents to see what their blocking schemes are like. That way, the team can run an effective offense for that particular opponent. Depending on who they're playing, the Nittany Lions will make adjustments to the offense before the match so they can be as successful as possible.
The team also pays close attention to matchups. Outside hitter Aiyana Whitney said determining the offense for each match comes from who each player is matched up with at the net.
"If we have a favorable match-up and there is someone who is taller on our team, who can hit over one of their smaller blocks, then we capitalize [on that]," Whitney said.
Passing Although it's on the defensive side of the ball, passing greatly affects the offense.
"When you pass well it gives you a better handle on your first-swing offense. We've been a good first-swing offense to date," head coach Russ Rose said.
Senior middle hitter Nia Grant agreed. She said passing is a very important part of the offense.
"[Getting a good pass] is huge. If we can get a good pass, you can do anything," Grant said.
Connecting and Communicating Once the ball is passed, it's in the hands of setter Micha Hancock. Rose said the team's hitting percentage is an indicator that Hancock is making good decisions getting the ball to different people at different times.
Grant said the key to the team's offensive success right now is the connection that the hitters have with Hancock.
Whitney said communication with Hancock while on the court is a key factor in the Penn State offense. During the match, hitters can tell Hancock where to put the ball so that they can hit the most effective shot.
Executing Both Whitney and Grant said the team's quick offense has proven to be very successful for the Nittany Lions.
"Because we have players that can hit different shots and different speeds, we can run a quicker offense. And that catches people off guard," Whitney said.
Grant said there are many players who can hit "quick balls", or balls that take little time to go from Hancock's hands to the hitter's. This has given the Nittany Lions the opportunity to run a faster offense.
"[The quick offense and having different hitting options] is what trips teams up because they don't know what to expect or where it's going," Grant said.
The top three individual hitting percentages in the Big Ten come from Penn State's roster. Haleigh Washington leads the conference with a .491 hitting percentage. Following shortly behind is Grant, hitting at a .476 percentage and Whitney, with a .395 hitting percentage.
Grant said it helps the offense to have three hitters in the front row together who are able to hit in any given play. This gives Hancock the option to set the ball to any number of players with confidence that it will be a strong hit.
"It's nice because Aiyana, since she's an outside, she can be with me and Haleigh in the front row," Grant said.
Having the top three hitters in the Big Ten is a testament to Penn State's strong offense. But Grant said they aren't paying attention to who comes first on that list.
"We're not really worried about who is doing [the scoring] this year, we just want to get it done," Grant said.
The No. 4-ranked Lions hope to continue their offensive success at Michigan on Wednesday.