UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. – The Penn State women's volleyball heads to the NCAA Stanford Regional to take on Washington in the round of 16 on Friday afternoon in Maples Pavilion at 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Penn State vs. Washington
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WASHINGTON DEEP DIVE
The Penn State Nittany Lions have not faced Washington since 2013, when the Nittany Lions too down the Huskies in the National Semifinal on Dec. 19, 2013, 25-14, 25-13, 25-16. Washington and Penn State have two mutual opponents in 2018, with the Huskies going 0-3 against Illinois (0-1; 3-1: 2518, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22), and Stanford (0-2; 3-0: 25-16, 25-20, 25-18, and 3-0: 25-16, 25-18, 25-19). Penn State has a 0-2 record the duo in Illinois (0-1, 3-2: 15-25, 25-22, 25-27, 25-23, 15-13), and Stanford (0-1; 3-0: 25-23, 25-20, 25-20). The Huskies beat Saint Mary's, 3-1, and Creighton, 3-0, to advance.
EIGHT SEED HISTORY
Since 2000 when the NCAA started using the bracket format that is used today, the No. 8 seed has a 48-10 record after the Nittany Lions opening weekend. Penn State has only been the No. 8 seed in one other tournament, which was 2011, where they won the first and second round matches versus over Liberty and Delaware in University Park, but then went on to fall to UCLA in Lexington, Ky., in three, 25-20, 25-22, 25-21.
DANCE, DANCE
The Nittany Lions are one of only two NCAA Division I women's volleyball programs to compete in all 38 NCAA Championship postseason tournaments since 1981. In tournament play, the Nittany Lions own a 100-30 all-time record, having made 13 appearances in the final four. Since 2007, Penn State has made more appearances in the NCAA national semifinals than any other program. PSU has participated in nine of the last 11 final fours.
LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
Head coach Russ Rose has been at the helm for all 100 of Penn State's NCAA Tournament wins, giving him the most by any individual coach in NCAA Division I volleyball history. With his two wins last weekend over Howard and Syracuse, Rose became the first NCAA Division I volleyball coach to reach the 100 win plateau.
Only two other institutions have 100 win after the first weekend of 2018 Championships, Stanford leads the pack at 121 wins and Nebraska is second at 11. Both of those institutions have had multiple coaches at the helm.
TEAM DEFENSE
Penn State leads the Big Ten in blocks per set at 2.87, which is good for sixth in the nation. The Nittany Lions are also killing the floor defense game as well. Penn State is currently averaging 14.90 digs per set, which if the season ended today, would crush the 25-point rally scoring era record of 14.72 which was set in 2010. If Penn State can get to 15.00 or above, it would be the first time since 2005 (15.82) that the Nittany Lions have averaged 15.00 or more per set. As a whole, Penn State's defense is holding opponents to just .164 hitting, good for third in the Big Ten.
