UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The eighth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team opens the 2019 season by hosting Hofstra, Holy Cross, and Wichita State for the Penn State Classic on Friday and Saturday at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions play the Pride on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and return Saturday to play the Crusaders at 10 a.m., and the Shockers at 8 p.m.
The Nittany Lions are coming off a season in which they went 26-8 overall and played in the NCAA Tournament for the 38th consecutive season. They won three tournament matches while advancing to the NCAA Regional Final.
This weekend marks the first of two home non-conference tournaments for the Lions. They will host three nationally-ranked teams – Stanford, Oregon and Minnesota – for the Big Ten Pac 12 Challenge on Sept. 13-14.
FULL NOTES: Penn State Classic
PENN STATE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 30
5 p.m. | Holy Cross vs. Wichita State | Live Stats | Watch
7:30 p.m. | Penn State vs. Hofstra | Live Stats | BTN+ (subscription required)
Saturday, Aug. 31
10 a.m. | Penn State vs. Holy Cross | Live Stats | BTN+ (subscription required)
1 p.m. | Wichita State vs. Hofstra | Live Stats | Watch
5 p.m. | Hofstra vs. Holy Cross | Live Stats | Watch
8 p.m. | Penn State vs. Wichita State | Live Stats | BTN+ (subscription required)
PROMOTIONS
Back to School Night – Fans will receive a Penn State Women's Volleyball folder. The giveaway is for all three Nittany Lions matches while supplies last.
Ticket Discount – $5 ticket when you show your Idaho football ticket.
PARKING
Women's Volleyball fans will have free parking in the Nittany Parking Deck, as well as in the Red A lots off North Atherton Street at White Course Drive. The Rec Hall ticket office opens 60 minutes before all matches.
PENN STATE
Record: 0-0
Big Ten: 0-0
2018: 26-8 (14-6 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Russ Rose
At Penn State: 1272-206 (41st)
Overall: 1272-206 (41st)
Location: University Park, Pa.
HOFSTRA
Record: 0-0
CAA: 0-0
2018: 25-8 (13-3 CAA)
Head Coach: Emily Mansur
At Hofstra: 112-49 (seventh)
Overall: 112-49 (seventh)
Location: Hempstead, N.Y.
HOLY CROSS
Record: 0-0
Patriot League: 0-0
2018: 8-21 (7-9 Patriot League)
Head Coach: Kathleen Colpoys
At Holy Cross: 0-0 (first)
Overall: 0-0 (first)
Location: Worcester, Mass.
WICHITA STATE
Record: 0-0
AAC: 0-0
2018: 14-18 (8-10 AAC)
Head Coach: Chris Lamb
At Wichita State: 427-178 (21st)
Overall: 427-178 (21st)
Location: Wichita, Kan.
SERIES HISTORY
Hofstra: Penn State is 8-0 in the all-time series with Hofstra. The Nittany Lions won the most recent matchup in four sets in 2016.
Holy Cross: The teams will play for the first time.
Wichita State: The teams will play for the first time.
SEASON OPENERS
The Nittany Lions are 34-6 in season-opening matches under head coach Russ Rose. During that stretch, they have defeated 29 different teams from 13 conferences. They have won seven consecutive season-opening matches, with the last loss coming to Oregon in 2011.
NATIONALLY RANKED
Penn State opens the 2019 season as the No. 8 ranked team in the nation according to the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll. The Nittany Lions came in at No. 8 behind Stanford, Nebraska, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Kentucky. The Big Ten made up 50 percent of the top 10 teams. Also representing the Big Ten in the poll were Michigan at No. 15 and Purdue at No. 17.
PRESEASON HONORS
Three Penn State players were voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Senior Kendall White was a unanimous selection. She was joined on the team by sophomores Jonni Parker and Kaitlyn Hord. All three players were AVCA All-Americans and All-Big Ten honorees last season.
LIONS PICKED FOURTH IN BIG TEN
Penn State was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten this season in a vote by the league's 14 head coaches. The Nittany Lions finished fifth in the Big Ten last season and were ranked sixth in the entire country.
FOUR ALL-AMERICANS ON THE ROSTER
Penn State returns four of its six All-Americans from last season, including two-time honoree Kendall White. The senior libero was a first-team selection as a junior and made the second team as a sophomore. Jonni Parker was a third-team All-American last year, while Kaitlyn Hord and Serena Gray were honorable mentions following their rookie seasons last year.
The 2019 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by McLanahan's.