Oct. 7, 2016
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 15 Penn State women's volleyball (13-3, 5-0 Big Ten) closes out its four-match home stand taking on Rutgers (4-14, 0-5 Big Ten) on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.
PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT: Penn State will offer $4 tickets for Saturday's match to fans who present their Penn State football ticket at the door. Fans may also purchase in advance online via the Penn State volleyball ticketing portal.
FIRST SERVE
- Penn State enters Friday night on an 11-match winning streak after taking down the top-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday night, 3-2 (29-27, 21-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-10).
- Junior Simone Lee led the way for the Nittany Lions with a record-setting performance. The outside hitter logged 30 kills, good for most in a five-set match in the 25-point rally scoring era.
- In addition to the record, Lee became the first Penn State player to log 30 kills since 2007.
- In addition to Lee's outburst, Thelen and Washington scored 14 kills each. Thelen led the team with five blocks, while Washington added three and a service ace. Classmate Ali Frantti logged her second double-double of 2016 with 13 kills and 13 digs. She added a pair of blocks and two assists.
- Setter Abby Detering led PSU to .308 hitting against the Golden Gophers, clocking her fourth double-double of the season with 61 assists and 10 digs. She added five kills and three aces. The 61 assists marked a career best.
- Washington and Lee both rank among the nation's best in statistical categories. Washington ranks fourth in the country in hitting percentage (.444), while Simone Lee's 4.18 kills per set rank 39th in NCAA Division I.
- Penn State's ability to limit opponent's offense has been unmatched this season. The Nittany Lions lead the country in limiting opponent's hitting percentage, holding the opposition to a measly .113 efficiency.
- PSU finds itself among the top 25 in the country in two other statistical categories. The Nittany Lions have hit the ball at a .309 clip in 2016, coming in second in the league and fifth nationally. Penn State also averages 2.71 blocks per set, good for seventh in the Big Ten and 24th among Division I programs
- Penn State climbed to No. 15 in the latest release of the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. PSU has 11 matches against teams represented within the top 25. Including the Nittany Lions, a total of nine Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25.
PENN STATE ALL-TIME AGAINST RUTGERS
Penn State takes on Rutgers for the second time in 2016 on Saturday, Oct. 8. PSU owns a 28-9 lead all-time. The record includes Penn State's win from earlier this season, where the Nittany Lions downed the Scarlet Knights, 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-5).
NITTANY LIONS' POTENT DEFENSE LEADS NATION
Entering the seventh week of play, Penn State has become the toughest defense in the nation for opposing teams to cope with. While 24th nationally in blocks per set, the Nittany Lions have forced opponents to a measly .113 hitting combined, marking the lowest opponent hitting percentage in the country. The next lowest opponent hitting percentage in the Big Ten is .025 points higher, with Wisconsin limiting foes to a .138 clip.
PENN STATE OFFENSE RANKS TOP IN THE LEAGUE
After two weeks of league play in the books, Penn State has proved to be the most statistically impressive offense in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions top conference-only stats in both kills per set (14.00) and hitting percentage (.370). The offensive success is rooted in junior setter Abby Detering, who averages a B1G second-best 11.25 assists per set. Additionally, two Penn State players find themselves among the top 15 in hitting efficiency within league play - Haleigh Washington (.444, first) and Heidi Thelen (.354, 10th).
FRANTTI READJUSTS IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Since the beginning of the conference season, it seems Ali Frantti has made the necessary adjustments to be successful in league play. Second on the team in kills per set during conference matches, Frantti has jumped nearly a kill per set in Big Ten action, averaging 2.94 per frame.
LEE'S OFFENSE ATOP THE BIG TEN
With double-figure kills in all but two matches this season, junior Simone Lee's 4.18 kills per set ranks first in the Big Ten standings and 39th nationally. Lee also ranks 34th in points nationally, logging 4.75 per set, also the best in the conference.
DETERING AT THE HELM
Junior transfer Abby Detering (Florida) and redshirt sophomore Bryanna Weiskircher split time early in the non-conference slate at the setting position. Having started the last 11 consecutive matches, Detering has become an anchor at the position. Last weekend Detering posted 69 assists, 17 digs, six kills and three blocks while guiding the Nittany Lions to a pair of sweeps and .380 hitting over two matches. Detering also notched her third double-double of the season against the Michigan Wolverines, logging 35 assists and 11 digs. She followed the performance with a career-high 61 assists and 10 digs against Minnesota.
WASHINGTON TOP TEN NATIONALLY IN EFFICIENCY
Junior Haleigh Washington continues to be one of the most consistent offensive threats in the country in 2016, ranking among the best in the nation in hitting efficiency. Hitting at a .444 clip in all matches this season, the Colorado Springs, Colorado product ranks atop in the Big Ten and fifth in NCAA Division I in hitting percentage.
THELEN SHIFTS TO RIGHT SIDE
After limited time on the court in her first two seasons, junior Heidi Thelen has found her niche, moving to the right side this season. The move has paid dividends, with Thelen tied for second on the team in hitting percentage (.354) and fourth in kills (104).
AVCA POLL UPDATE: RELEASE 7
Penn State jumped another spot, now ranked No. 15 in the latest release of the AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions opened the season ranked No. 9 in the Preseason Poll, before moving to No. 13 and No. 16 in last week's release. PSU has 11 matches against teams represented within the top 25. Including the Nittany Lions, a total of nine Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25.
NITTANY LION ALUMS EARN BRONZE WITH TEAM USA
Penn State women's volleyball All-American alums Alisha Glass and Christa (Harmotto) Dietzen earned a Bronze medal with the United States Women's National Team at the Olympic Games in Rio.
Having played key roles for Team USA throughout the event, Glass and Dietzen helped the United States to a 3-1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19) win against the Netherlands to clinch The Americans' second Bronze medal since the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain. Team USA went 6-0 through Pool play before a close 3-2 loss to Serbia in the semifinals moved the United States to 6-1 heading into the Bronze medal match.
Penn State women's volleyball now has four Olympic medalists in Nittany Lion program history as Glass earns her first and Dietzen picks up her second consecutive. Having previously earned Silver with the U.S. at the 2012 Games in London, Dietzen is Penn State's first women's volleyball alum to win two Olympic medals as a member of the 12-woman roster.
From Hopewell Township, Pa., Dietzen was a two-time first-team All-American and the 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in women's volleyball. From Leland, Mich., Glass also was a two-time first-team All-American for the Nittany Lions. Glass was a member of the initial three national title squads and Dietzen was a member of the first two squads, playing for Hall of Fame Coach Russ Rose.
WHAT'S UP NEXT?
Penn State follows up its home matches with a road trip to Indiana next weekend. The Blue and White begin the road trip taking on Purdue on Friday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. before a quick turnaround to face the Indiana Hoosiers the next night on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.