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Dec. 3, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Seventh-seeded Penn State women's volleyball (26-5) is set to make its 35th consecutive appearance in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, opening the event with a first round matchup against Howard (18-13) Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall.
Villanova and Dayton will meet in the earlier first round match, which begins at 5 p.m. in Rec Hall.
FIRST SERVE
* The Nittany Lions are 29-5 all-time in NCAA first round matches, having hosted three teams in Rec Hall for NCAA first and second round matches a total of 29 times since 1981. Penn State has also earned its last 25 consecutive first round victories in straight sets.
* Penn State will also begin its quest for a third consecutive NCAA title as the Nittany Lions swept past BYU last year to capture the team's seventh NCAA national championship in program history and sixth in the last eight years.
* The Nittany Lions are 90-27 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches, having won their last 12 straight, dating back to a loss to Oregon in the 2012 NCAA national semifinals. Penn State is also one of two programs, with Stanford being the other, to make appearances in all 35 NCAA Tournament postseason events since its inception in 1981.
* Four Nittany Lions earned Big Ten postseason awards. Senior Megan Courtney and redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney earned spots on the All-Big Ten team, joined by sophomore Haleigh Washington, who was named a unanimous selection. Senior Kendall Pierce rounded out the group as Penn State's sportsmanship honoree.
* Penn State and Howard have met just once in program history, dating back to the 1979 season. The Nittany Lions topped the Bison 2-0 in a neutral site meeting at the Pitt Invitational Sept. 28, 1979.
* Howard is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Bison earned one of 32 automatic qualifier bids after sweeping Bethune-Cookman to secure the team's first MEAC Championship title since 1994. Howard enters the first round of the NCAA Tournament as winners of their last 13 straight matches.
* PSU moved to 9-3 against teams ranked within the AVCA Top 25 after coming up short at No. 5 Nebraska in the 2015 regular season finale. Penn State is 6-1 against ranked teams at home in Rec Hall and 3-2 on the road.
* Penn State has earned 21 of its 26 victories this year by way of a 3-0 sweep, while also limiting its opponents to a .156 hitting percentage. The mark ranks 14th nationally and leads the Big Ten.
* Averaging 3.14 blocks per set on the year, Penn State owns a 329.5 - 174.5 advantage in the blocking margin against its opponents in 2015. The average ranks second nationally and leads the Big Ten. Individually, sophomore Haleigh Washington's 1.39 blocks per set ranks 23rd nationally and second in the Big Ten.
* Penn State's .291 hitting clip ranks sixth in the NCAA national standings and leads the Big Ten. Helped out by Haleigh Washington's team-high .442 hitting clip, her efficiency ranks third nationally and leads the Big Ten.
* PSU slid to No. 8 in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll this week, after spending one week ranked seventh. Despite the season-low positioning, the Nittany Lions have been slated No. 1 a total of eight times this season, having spent the first six straight weeks at the top of the poll.
* A total of nine Big Ten schools are among the field of 64 teams in this year's NCAA Tournament. Along with No. 7 Penn State, No. 2 Minnesota, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 12 Ohio State highlighted the group, earning top-16 seeds. Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue also received at-large bids to the tournament.
* Veterans senior Megan Courtney and redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney are among the group of top Nittany Lion attackers. Averaging 3.11 kills per set, Courtney has had double digit kills in eight of 16 conference matches she played in. Whitney's averaging 3.09 kills per set with double digit kills in 10 of the last 16 matches, including seven of the last nine outings.
FOUR NITTANY LIONS EARN BIG TEN POSTSEASON HONORS
Four Nittany Lions have earned Big Ten postseason awards. The Nittany Lions are well represented on the All-Big Ten team, as one of only two programs to have at least three selections. Senior Megan Courtney and redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney earned spots on the All-Big Ten team, joined by sophomore Haleigh Washington, who was named a unanimous selection. Senior Kendall Pierce rounded out the group as Penn State's sportsmanship honoree.
Washington earns her second consecutive spot on the All-Big Ten team. Whitney garners All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season, having been named an honorable mention last year. Washington is among a group of just seven honorees to be named a unanimous All-Big Ten selection this year. Courtney's nod marks the first time she's been selected for a Big Ten postseason award. Pierce has also earned her first postseason recognition as this year's sportsmanship honoree.
WASHINGTON EARNS CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
Penn State sophomore Haleigh Washington has been selected to the Academic All-District team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Washington is one of six student-athletes to garner the distinction in the District 2 category. Washington will now be considered for national honors as an Academic All-American, which is set to be announced near the end of the month. Since 1996, Washington is the 11th different Nittany Lion in program history to earn the distinction and Penn State's 18th overall selection to an Academic All-District team.
WEISKIRCHER EARNS FIRST CAREER BIG TEN WEEKLY HONOR
After helping the team to a home-and-home sweep against then-No. 11 Ohio State, redshirt freshman Bryanna Weiskircher earned Big Ten Setter of the Week honors. The award marks the first time in her career she's received Big Ten weekly recognition. Weiskircher paced the team to a .358 hitting percentage in a 2-0 week that featured a pair of wins against the Buckeyes. Averaging 11.00 assists per set, Weiskircher directed the Nittany Lion offense to team hitting clips of .349 or better in each outing. In the midweek match at Ohio State, she posted her eighth double-double of the season with 35 assists and 10 digs in the straight set win. In the next outing, she put down a career-high five kills on six errorless swings against the Buckeyes, adding six digs and two aces.
On the year, Weiskircher's guided the team to a .291 hitting percentage, which leads the Big Ten conference and ranks sixth nationally. From the end line, she's also tallied 39 aces on the year. Weiskircher's 0.37 aces per frame is tops in the Big Ten standings.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Sophomore Simone Lee has stepped up as an offensive contributor for the Nittany Lions since entering the Penn State starting lineup against Nebraska Oct. 2. Since then, she has made starts in each of the last 18 matches, posting double figure kills in six of the last 15 outings. She had a career-high 14 kills at Northwestern before powering the Penn State offense with 10 and 12 kills against Indiana and Purdue, respectively. She also put down 13 kills on the road at No. 23 Michigan and led the team with 10 kills at Michigan State. She also totaled a career-high three aces in the most recent meeting against the Wolverines (11/18).
K. PIERCE INTO THE STARTING LINEUP
Senior Kendall Pierce has earned her way into the Penn State starting lineup at the libero position. She's made three consecutive starts at libero in the past three matches, totaling and then matching a career-high mark with 12 digs against Maryland and Northwestern. In the last three matches she's averaging 3.44 digs per set.
WEEK 15: AVCA TOP 25 COACHES' POLL UPDATE
Penn State moved to No. 8 in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll this week, after spending one week ranked seventh. Despite the season-low positioning, the Nittany Lions have been slated No. 1 a total of eight times this season, having spent the first six straight weeks at the top of the poll. Including PSU, this week's poll features half of the Big Ten conference teams with seven teams in the top 25. Michigan is also receiving votes.
THE BIG TEN AT THE BIG DANCE
A total of nine Big Ten schools are among the field of 64 teams in this year's NCAA Tournament. Along with No. 7 Penn State, No. 2 Minnesota, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 12 Ohio State earned top-16 seeds. Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue also received at-large bids to the tournament.
NITTANY LIONS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
With a 90-27 all-time record in the NCAA tournament, Penn State has totaled 10 national final appearances ('93, '97, '98, '99, '07, '08, '09, '10, '13, '14), 12 trips to the national semifinals ('93, '94, '97, '98, '99, '07, '08, '09, '10, '12, `13, '14) and seven national championships ('99, '07, '08, '09, '10, '13, `14).
NCAA FIRST ROUND FACTS
Including this year, PSU is set to host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament for the 29th time since 1981, welcoming a trio of tournament teams to Rec Hall for the 26th consecutive year. Penn State holds a 29-5 all-time record in opening matches of the tourney, having swept Siena most recently in 2014. Penn State has not lost a first round contest since 1989, when the Nittany Lions fell to Illinois in straight sets. Since the loss, the Nittany Lions have not surrendered a single set to a first round opponent, having posted sweeps in its last 25 consecutive first-round victories.
ADVANTAGE ON THE BLOCK
Penn State has commanded the advantage in the blocking margin against its opponents this year. Penn State has out-blocked its opponents 329.5 - 174.5, averaging 3.14 blocks per set, which ranks second nationally and leads the conference. Individually, sophomore Haleigh Washington's 1.39 blocks per set ranks 23rd nationally and second in the Big Ten. Redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney's 1.15 blocks per frame is second on the squad and 11th in the conference. PSU has out-blocked its opponent in 27 matches this season, out-blocking each of those teams by an average of at least six blocks. The Nittany Lions tied Stanford in the blocking margin (7.0-7.0) and have been out-blocked just three times this season, twice by Minnesota (11.0-13.0 & 7.0/9.0) and once at Nebraska (12.0/6.0).
DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING
Penn State has limited its opponents to .156 hitting this season, which ranks first in the Big Ten standings and 14th nationally. PSU has held its opponent to .099 or lower hitting efficiency 11 times and between .135-.196 eight times. Only Minnesota (.275), Stanford (.267) and Iowa (.283) have hit .250 or better against the Nittany Lions. Penn State has been out-hit by a team only six times this season, in both matches against Minnesota (.198/.216 & .236/.275), and Nebraska (.164/.173 & .126/.241), at Northwestern (.193/.211) and vs. Michigan (.210/.213). Despite getting out-hit by the Golden Gophers in the first meeting of the season (9/26), PSU outlasted Minnesota in five sets to claim a close 3-2 win.
OFFENSIVE OPTIONS
Redshirt freshman setter Bryanna Weiskircher has directed the Nittany Lions to a .291 hitting percentage, which ranks sixth nationally and leads the Big Ten. Weiskircher has also paced four of her top attackers to just under .245, or better hitting, led by sophomore Haleigh Washington's .442 clip, which ranks third nationally and leads the Big Ten.
Redshirt senior Aiyana Whitney's .346 hitting percentage is second on the team and seventh in the conference, while sophomore Simone Lee's .255 efficiency is third on the team among hitters. Senior Megan Courtney's .241 clip is fifth on the squad. Averaging 3.11 kills per set, Courtney has had double digit kills in eight of 16 conference matches she played in. Whitney's averaging 3.09 kills per set with double digit kills in 10 of the last 16 matches, including seven of the last nine outings.
THE MORE THE MERRIER
The Nittany Lions have utilized a balanced offensive attack in matches this season, with a total of four different players averaging at least 2.57 or more kills per set on the year. Penn State's highlighted the season with four players in double figures on three occasions this season (vs. Stanford, vs. Wisconsin and at Illinois). Penn State has been led by three different double digit hitters a total of seven times this season (vs. Auburn, vs. Minnesota, vs. Nebraska, at Northwestern, at Michigan, at Minnesota, vs. Michigan). In total, Penn State has had at least three in double figures in 10 of 31 matches this season. In conference play, three or four players fueled the PSU offense with double figure kills in seven of 20 Big Ten matches.
WE'LL TAKE THE FIRST ONE
Penn State is 25-2 on the year when winning the first set. The Nittany Lions have surrendered the first set just twice this season, most recently dropping a 25-21 opening frame on the road at Maryland. PSU also dropped a 25-18 decision on the road at Northwestern before an eventual 3-2 loss.
SWEEPING VICTORIES
Penn State has earned 21 of its 26 (81%) victories this season by way of a 3-0 sweep. Penn State has also limited Eastern Kentucky, Mississippi State, St. John's, and most recently, Maryland to less than 45 total points in a single match, holding the Colonels to a season-low 41 total points. The Terps had 45, the Red Storm had 43 and Bulldogs had just 42.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Should the Nittany Lions defeat Howard, Penn State will square off against the winner of the Dayton vs. Villanova first round match. Should Penn State continue to advance, winning a second round match, the Nittany Lions will head to Des Moines, Iowa to meet the winner of the College Station, Texas site in the regional semifinals at Wells Fargo Arena.