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Aug. 28, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball (1-0) swept past Buffalo (0-1) in three sets to capture a 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-16) season-opening victory.
Redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney fueled the offense with a match-high 11 kills on .400 hitting, adding three blocks. Senior Megan Courtney followed close behind with eight kills, along with four digs and four blocks. Sophomore Haleigh Washington added seven kills on 10 perfect swings, while also tallying her first collegiate ace and five total blocks.
Sophomore Heidi Thelen led the blocking unit with a career-high seven blocks, including two solo stuffs. Freshman Keeton Holcomb posted a team-high 10 digs in her first collegiate outing, stepping into the libero role in the second and third sets.
Redshirt freshman Bryanna Weiskircher and freshman Wilma Rivera both made their collegiate debuts at the setting position. Weiskircher tallied 18 assists, three digs, two kills and an ace, while Rivera posted eight assists and four digs.
Penn State opened the match on a 7-4 advantage for an early lead. Buffalo responded with a kill and a block to narrow the gap to one, 7-6. The Nittany Lions responded with a 6-2 streak to widen the lead to five, 13-8. Buffalo battled back with five unanswered points to tie the frame at 13-all.
Sophomore Ali Frantti broke open the knotted frame with a kill, beginning a 5-1 streak that lifted PSU ahead, 18-14.
The Bulls looked to cut off the momentum with a kill, 18-15, but Penn State regrouped with a 6-3 stretch to guide PSU to set point, 24-18. A Buffalo attack error on the next play secured a 25-18 win in the opening frame for the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions got out to a hot start in the second set, using a 7-1 run for a solid advantage. Buffalo answered with a quick 3-1 spurt to trim the lead to four, 8-4. Washington sparked a 5-1 run with a kill to vault PSU ahead, 13-5. A Buffalo kill and a Penn State attack error gave the Bulls an opportunity, 13-7 but PSU rallied back with a 7-2 run to double the lead, 20-9.
Penn State continued to roll, as Courtney sparked a 5-3 stretch with a kill to carry the Nittany Lions to a 25-12 win in the second set.
Penn State and Buffalo kept it tight early in the third set. Tied at 7-7, sophomore Taylor Krause served up an ace to open up a 5-1 streak that pulled PSU ahead by four, 12-8. Buffalo responded with a 4-1 stretch to climb within one, 13-12. Penn State and Buffalo traded service errors, before a kill from Whitney opened up a 4-0 strike that send PSU ahead 18-13, prompting the Bulls to call a timeout.
Buffalo came out of the break with a kill, 18-14, but Penn State regrouped with a 7-2 run to close out the third set with a 25-16 win to complete the sweep.
Penn State returns to the court Saturday, Aug. 29 for a doubleheader against Stony Brook and Villanova. The Nittany Lions take on the Seawolves in a midafternoon matchup at 1 p.m. before squaring off against the Wildcats at 7:30 p.m.
Prior to the matchup against Villanova the Nittany Lions will raise the 2014 NCAA national championship banner is a special prematch ceremony.