Aug. 30, 2015
By Anita Nham, GoPSUsports.com Student Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa ââ'¬" The two-time defending national champions opened the new season right where they left off. The No. 1 Nittany Lions swept Buffalo, Stony Brook and Villanova, respectively, over the weekend to win the Penn State Classic.
Even after losing the leadership of the likes Micha Hancock, Dominique Gonzalez, Nia Grant and Lacey Fuller, the returning veterans' direction and leadership helped guide the new-look team to success during the first weekend of action.
Senior Megan Courtney was recognized as the Penn State Classic Most Outstanding Player and redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney and sophomore Ali Frantti joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
"There were some jitters and a little bit of nerves coming out in a few of us," said Whitney. "I think it's just one of those things where each game, we have to get more comfortable playing in your gym. This is the place where the atmosphere is positive towards us, so if there is anywhere we need to play well, it's at home."
Whitney powered the offense with a match-high 11 kills to allow Penn State to open the weekend with a sweep against Buffalo (25-18, 25-12, 25-16). Sophomore Haleigh Washington added seven kills and five blocks. She also earned her first service ace in her collegiate career.
"Buffalo does some things really well," said head coach Russ Rose. "They've got a couple of athletic kids that take big swings. I'm sure there were some nerves associated with how they came out of the gate, but I thought there a lot of nerves associated with how some of our players came out. I thought Aiyana and Haleigh were pretty solid...Aiyana and Haleigh had nice jobs hitting tonight."
The first match of the season was also a homecoming for Buffalo Bulls head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz. Lipsitz was a four-time national champion at Penn State (2007-10), a two-time first-team All-American (2009 & 2010) and during her time at Penn State, the Nittany Lions won 109 matches in a row. Friday's match was the first match in her head coaching career.
"I'm a big fan of Blair Brown," said coach Rose. "That was the first match that Blair Brown ever lost in Rec Hall. She's doing a nice job. She's a great player. She's a great mentors. She's a fabulous role model, and I think Buffalo selected a great young person for the job."
Penn State won in straight sets (25-13, 25-13, 25-20) against Stony Brook Saturday afternoon. Courtney tallied 11 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Frantti recorded 10 kills, her first double-digit kill performance of the season. Washington added seven kills and four blocks.
Washington had a fantastic rookie season last year, but she's been working a lot this offseason in order to be an even bigger component to the team.
"I focused a lot on my mental game [this offseason]," said Washington. "I really wanted to have a good, strong IQ so that way, this year, the seniors wouldn't have to worry so much about me, they can focus more on the freshmen and the other new players on the court. I tried to get my IQ up, so I could see the block, see where I needed to attack, try to do the best that I could do for me, so I could bring it to the team, so we could be a more dynamic flowing team together. I just tried to get as good as I could be so the seniors could focus more on who they need to focus on."
The Nittany Lions finished off the weekend with a win against Villanova (25-20, 25-23, 25-21) to claim the Penn State Classic crown.
Courtney earned a double-double of 16 kills and 13 digs in the match. Whitney also posted double figures with 14 kills alongside two digs. Washington led the team in blocks with six, and Frantti had the second most digs of the match with 12.
Even with the three wins, the team will work to improve with each set on the floor.
"We're a work in progress for sure," said coach Rose. "Long way to go."