UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- No. 5 Penn State recorded eight aces on its way to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-14) win over Rutgers in Big Ten women's volleyball play Saturday at Rec Hall. Jonni Parker had two aces, giving her at least two for the third straight match, as the Lions improved to 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
Parker also led the team with 12 kills. The two middles each hit .500-plus for Penn State as Serena Gray finished with eight kills on .583 hitting and Kaitlyn Hord had seven kills on .500 hitting.
With eight aces to seven service errors, the Nittany Lions' serving was much improved from the match against Michigan State on Wednesday when they had just three aces and nine errors.
Kendall White joined Parker with a pair of aces against Rutgers, while Gray, Tori Gorrell, Gabby Blossom, and Macall Peed added one apiece. Parker has a team-best 13 on the season. Gray has nine, and Blossom is just one behind her with eight.
Rutgers, which dropped to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, received six kills, a .500 hitting percentage, and four total blocks from Jasmine Stackhouse. Penn State holds a 34-9 record in the all-time series and hasn't lost to the Scarlet Knights since 1982. The Nittany Lions have won 37 consecutive sets against the Scarlet Knights dating back to 2001.
The latest Penn State trailed in a set was when it was down 5-4 in the second. The Lions went on a 3-0 run that included a kill and a block by Hord and didn't trail in the set again.
Fifteen Penn State players appeared in the match and 11 players recorded either a kill, assist, or a dig. Blossom finished with 31 assists, seven digs, and a block. White tallied nine digs and tacked on four assists. Emily Oerther came on as the setter in the third set and contributed three assists. Keeton Holcomb made her first start of the season and registered three digs.
Hord added five total blocks to her efficient attacking, giving her 45 on the season as she averages 1.25/set. That's good enough for top 50 in the nation. She ranks just outside the top 10 in the nation with a .440 hitting percentage, while Gray cracks the top 10 at .456.
It's early in the Big Ten schedule, but Penn State has a big matchup upcoming as it travels to Madison to take on No. 13 Wisconsin on Wednesday at 9 p.m. (EST). The match will air live on the Big Ten Network. The Badgers are 5-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference after beating No. 15 Purdue 3-0 (25-22, 29-27, 25-16) on Friday.
