No. 8 Penn State (19-4, 12-2 B1G) at No. 25 Illinois (12-11, 7-7 B1G) | Friday, Nov. 15 - 8 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats | Listen | BTN+ ($)
No. 8 Penn State (19-4, 12-2 B1G) at Northwestern (10-16, 1-13 B1G) | Sunday, Nov. 17 - 2 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats | Listen | BTN+ ($)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The eighth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team is set for two matches in Illinois this weekend, starting with a top-25 matchup in Champaign against No. 25 Illinois on Friday at 8 p.m. (ET). The Lions then head to Evanston to take on Northwestern on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ET). Both matches will stream on BTN Plus.
Penn State is 19-4 overall and 12-2 in the Big Ten after beating Indiana and then No. 15 Purdue at Rec Hall last week. The Lions swept the Hoosiers before taking down the Boilermakers in four sets. It was the team's third win over a nationally-ranked team this season.
The Lions picked up two weekly awards from the Big Ten following the two wins. Sophomore Gabby Blossom was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the third time in four weeks, while senior Kendall White was selected as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. White had a season-high 29 digs against Purdue.
Illinois is 12-11 overall and 7-7 in the conference after falling to Michigan in four sets in its most recent match. The Illini are coming off a season in which they advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.
Penn State is 46-11 in the all-time series with Illinois, including a come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Rec Hall earlier this season. The Lions are 19-8 against the Illini in Champaign, including a five-set loss last season.
Northwestern is 10-16 overall and 1-13 in the league after losses to Michigan, Nebraska, and Michigan State. The WIldcats swept their first matchup with Michigan State for their lone Big Ten win of the season.
The Lions are 53-9 all-time against the Wildcats, including wins in 30 of the past 31 meetings. The Lions are 25-5 against Northwestern in matches played in Evanston. Northwestern's last win in the series came in 2015 in Evanston.
The 2019 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by McLanahan's.
FULL NOTES: Penn State at Indiana/Purdue
PENN STATE AGAINST THE BIG TEN
The Nittany Lions are 499-75 all time in Big Ten play, posting a winning percentage of .869. 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 fifth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage. Hord is hitting .438, good enough for fourth in the nation, while Gray his hitting 361.
TOP-FIVE ATTENDANCE
Penn State currently ranks fifth in the nation in home attendance, averaging 3,620 fans through 14 matches at Rec Hall. The Big Ten holds four of the top five spots and eight of the top 15 spots in the national home attendance rankings.
NATIONALLY RANKED
Penn State stayed at No. 8 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after wins over Indiana and then No. 15 Purdue. The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 454 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. 5 Minnesote, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 7 Wisconsin, and No. 8 Penn State. 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 1,861 career digs. She needs 97 to pass Kaleena Walters (2002-05) to become the all-time leader.
WINS AGAINST EIGHT CONFERENCES
Penn State's 19 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 two Defensive Player of the Week award this season, giving her seven for her career. She won the award on Oct. 14, after averaging 4.00 digs per set in wins over Maryland and Ohio State. Her most recent honor came after totaling a season-high 29 digs in a four-set win over Purdue.
- Gabby Blossom won three Setter of the Week awards this season, the first threeof 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. Blossom added her third award after a double-double against Indiana and 53 assists in a win over Purdue.
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.
