No. 7 Penn State (16-3, 9-1 B1G) at Iowa (9-12, 3-7 B1G) | Friday, Nov. 1 - 8 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats | Listen | BTN+ ($)
No. 7 Penn State (16-3, 9-1 B1G) at No. 8 Nebraska (16-3, 8-2 B1G) | Saturday, Nov. 2 - 8:30 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats | Listen | BTN (TV)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The seventh-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team is on the road twice this weekend, starting with a match at Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday at 8 p.m. (ET). The Nittany Lions follow that up with a matchup of top-10 teams when they take on Nebraska at the Devaney Center on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (ET). Saturday's match will air on the Big Ten Network, including a half hour pregame show.
Penn State is 16-3 overall and 9-1 in the Big Ten after upping its winning streak to seven matches with a sweep over Maryland on Saturday. It was the seventh-straight win for the Lions, who sit in third place in the conference standings. Wisconsin leads at 11-0, while Minnesota is second at 9-1. Nebraska is one spot behind Penn State in fourth at 8-2.
Sophomore setter Gabby Blossom is now the two-time reigning Big Ten Setter of the Week after earning the award again on Monday. She averaged 12.25 assists/set last week, including a career-high 52 in a come-from-behind win over Illinois on Wednesday at Rec Hall.
Iowa is 9-12 overall and 3-7 in the Big Ten after posting a 3-2 win over Indiana in its most recent match. The Hawkeyes have won two of their past three matches. The other win was also against the Hoosiers. Halle Johnston has been busy from her libero position this season. She ranks second in the Big Ten in digs, averaging 4.72/set.
Penn State is unbeaten at 54-0 against Iowa in a series that began in 1991. The Lions have won 34 of the last 35 sets against the Hawkeyes. Kaitlyn Hord had 11 kills on .688 hitting and added five total blocks in a 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-21) win over Iowa at Rec Hall on Oct. 5.
Nebraska is 16-3 overall and 8-2 in the league after getting upset by No. 20 Purdue in five sets last weekend. The loss snapped a five-match winning streak. The Huskers are tops in the league in opponent hitting percentage at .143.
The 2019 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by McLanahan's.
FULL NOTES: Penn State at Iowa/Nebraska
PENN STATE
Record: 16-3
Big Ten: 9-1
2018: 26-8 (14-6 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Russ Rose
At Penn State: 1,288-209 (41st)
Overall: 1,288-209 (41st)
Location: University Park, Pa.
IOWA
Record: 9-12
Big Ten: 3-7
2018: 15-16 (7-13 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Vicki Brown
At Iowa: 9-12 (first)
Overall: 13-39 (second)
Location: Iowa Ciry, Iowa
PENN STATE AGAINST THE BIG TEN
The Nittany Lions are 496-74 all time in Big Ten play, posting a winning percentage of .870. Penn State has had a winning record in Big Ten play every season since joining the conference in 1991. The Lions went undefeated with a 20-0 record against conference opponents in six of those seasons.
STRONG IN THE MIDDLE
Sophomore middle blockers Kaitlyn Hord and Serena Gray rank first and sixth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage. Hord is hitting .439, good enough for fifth in the nation, while Gray his hitting .373, which is good enough for 49th in the nation.
TOP-FIVE ATTENDANCE
Penn State currently ranks fifth in the nation in home attendance, averaging 3,628 fans through 12 matches at Rec Hall. The Big Ten holds five of the top 10 spots in the national home attendance rankings.
NATIONALLY RANKED
Penn State jumped to No. 7 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after beating No. 17 Illinois and Maryland last week The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 452 consecutive polls dating back to the end of the 1988 season.
BIG TEN LEADS THE WAY IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Four Big Ten teams appeared in the top 10 of the most recent AVCA national rankings — No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Penn State, and No. 8 Nebraska. No other conference has more than two teams in the top 10.
WHITE NEARS DIGS RECORD
Senior Kendall White ranks second in program history with 1,788 career digs. She needs 170 to pass Kaleena Walters (2002-05) to become the all-time leader.
WINS AGAINST EIGHT CONFERENCES
Penn State's 16 wins this season have come against teams from eight different conferences, including the CAA, Patriot League, American Athletic Conference, Big 12, SEC, Pac 12, ACC, and Big Ten.
BIG TEN AWARDS
- Kaitlyn Hord won the team's lone Big Ten Player of the Week recognition following the second weekend of play. She earned the award after being named the MVP at the Cyclone Invitational, where the Lions swept Iowa State and LSU.
- Kendall White has won one Defensive Player of the Week award this season, giving her six for her career. She won the award on Oct. 14, after averaging 4.00 digs per set in wins over Maryland and Ohio State.
- Gabby Blossom won two Setter of the Week award this season, the first two of her career. She received the honor on Oct. 21, after averaging 12.14 assists/set in road wins over Michigan and Michigan State. She then won the next week on Oct. 28 after averaging 12.25 digs/set in wins over No. 17 Illinois and Maryland.
BIGGEST COMEBACK (SET)
Penn State's biggest comeback to win a set this season came during a sweep at Michigan State on Oct. 20. The Lions trailed 21-14 before battling back to win the set 26-24. They went on to score the first six points of the second set.
BIGGEST COMEBACK (MATCH)
Penn State came back from two sets down to beat Illinois 3-2 (18-25, 24-26, 25-15, 30-28, 15-13) at Rec Hall on Oct. 23. The Illini had four chances at match point in set four. It was the first time the Lions erased a 2-0 set deficit in a win since beating USC on Aug. 27, 2011. That match was also played at Rec Hall.
