UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 17th-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team is at Rec Hall for the first time this season when it hosts three teams for the Penn State Classic on Friday and Saturday. The Lions will play Iowa State on Friday at 8 p.m., and will take on Oregon State (11 a.m.) and LSU (8 p.m.) on Saturday.
Gold medalists and former Penn State greats Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington will be in attendance and will be honored following the second set of Penn State's match on Friday night. The pair recently helped Team USA win its first ever gold medal in women's volleyball at the Tokyo Olympics.
SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 3
Iowa State vs. LSU, 11 a.m. - Watch on B1G+
LSU vs. Oregon State, 5 p.m. - Watch on B1G+
Iowa State at Penn State, 8 p.m. - Watch on B1G+
Saturday, Sept. 4
Oregon State at Penn State, 11 a.m. - Watch on B1G+
Oregon State vs. Iowa State, 5 p.m. - Watch on B1G+
LSU at Penn State, 8 p.m. - Watch on B1G+
LIVE STATS LINK (ALL MATCHES)
PARKING
• Parking will be available at no charge at the Nittany and West parking decks for this weekend's Penn State Classic Women's Volleyball matches at Rec Hall.
• Parking will be available beginning 90 minutes before through three hours after the start of each match this weekend. Fans will take a ticket to enter each deck and submit the ticket at any in-lane machine to exit. If the Nittany Deck reaches capacity, fans will be redirected to the new West Deck, which is located along White Course Drive west of Rec Hall.
• Previously announced parking fees for non-football Athletics events for fans without a valid Penn State parking permit will be required for Women's Volleyball home matches beginning with the next home match on Sunday, Sept. 26 vs. Ohio State. Discounted single game and season package prepaid parking will be available to purchase online through the ParkMobile reservation site beginning Wednesday, Sept. 8:
- Single-Game Prepaid Parking (select the desired Penn State Women's Volleyball match date(s))
- Season Package Prepaid Parking (select Penn State Women's Volleyball)
• For more information on event parking, contact Transportation Services at parking@psu.edu or 814-865-1436.
OPENING NOTES
• Penn State is back at Rec Hall for the 46th season of women's volleyball, including the 43rd under the direction of head coach Russ Rose.
• The Lions are 2-1 after competing at the UCF Challenge to open the 2021 season last weekend. They opened with a 3-1 loss to then-No. 24 Georgia Tech before bouncing back with 3-0 wins over St. John's and the host Knights.
• Fans will be in attendance at Rec Hall for women's volleyball for the first time since Penn State defeated Towson 3-1 in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
• The Lions are 13-3 all-time against their three opponents for this weekend.
PARKER GOES FOR 1,000
• Jonni Parker enters the weekend with 996 career kills, putting her just four away from 1,000 for her career.
• She got closer to the milestone after an outstanding 19-kill performance in a 3-0 win over UCF in the team's most recent match.
SERIES HISTORY - IOWA STATE
• Penn State is 2-0 all-time against Iowa State in a series that began in 1995.
• The Lions swept both matches, the first in New Mexico and the second on the Cyclones' home court in Ames, Iowa.
PENN STATE VS. BIG 12
• Penn State is 50-8 all-time against current members of the Big 12.
• The Lions have played eight of the nine teams in the Big 12 and have a winning record against all of them. They are unbeaten against seven of those teams.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• Iowa State is 2-0 after taking the title at the Cyclone Challenge with wins over Drake (3-1 score) and Omaha (3-0).
• Marija Popovic was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for her performance during the opening weekend of play. She totaled 38 digs (5.43/set) over the two matches.
• Iowa State was picked fifth out of nine teams in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.
SERIES HISTORY - OREGON STATE
• Penn State is 1-1 all-time against Oregon State in a series that began in 1995.
• Both matches were played at a neutral site, with the Lions winning in New Mexico in 1995 and the Beavers winning in Chicago in 2012.
PENN STATE VS. PAC 12
• Penn State is 46-30 all-time against current members of the Pac 12.
SCOUTING OREGON STATE
• Oregon State is 1-1 after opening the season with a 3-2 win over Oklahoma and a 3-1 loss to Houston.
• Grace Massey was named to the Pac 12 All-Conference Team last season. The libero led the team in digs (261), digs/set (4.21) and aces (18).
• The Beavers were picked 12th in the Pac 12 Preseason Poll.
SERIES HISTORY - LSU
• Penn State is 10-2 all-time against LSU in a series that began in 1982.
• The Lions have won five-straight matches in the series, including the most recent matchup at Iowa State in 2019.
PENN STATE VS. SEC
• Penn State is 45-11 all-time against current members of the SEC.
• The Lions have played 12 of the 13 teams in the SEC and have a winning record against 11 of those teams.
SCOUTING LSU
• LSU is 1-1 after opening the season with a 3-1 loss to Michigan and a 3-1 win over Northern Arizona at the Tiger Classic.
• The Tigers were picked third out of 13 teams in the SEC Preseason Poll.
• Right side Taylor Bannister and outside hitter Kylie Deberg were named to the Preseason All-SEC Team.
HOME OPENERS
• Penn State is 40-2 in home openers under head coach Russ Rose.
• During that stretch, the Lions have defeated 31 different teams from 18 conferences.
• The Lions have won nine consecutive home openers, with the last loss coming to Oregon in 2011.
UP NEXT
• Penn State heads to Eugene, Oregon, for the Big Ten-Pac 12 Challenge. The Lions will play No. 13 Oregon on Friday, Sept. 10, and No. 20 Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 11.