UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women's volleyball will host Rutgers for its annual Dig Pink match at Rec Hall on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The 15th-ranked Nittany Lions enter at 12-4 overall and sit in second place in the Big Ten standings at 5-1, while Rutgers is 8-9 overall and 0-6 in the conference.
It is the second match of the season between Penn State and Rutgers. The Lions swept the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway in the conference opener on Sept. 24. Penn State hit .407 in the win, led by Jonni Parker with 11 kills on .421 hitting. Kaitlyn Hord had seven blocks.
Friday, Oct. 15
7:30 p.m. | Rutgers (8-9, 0-6 B1G) at No. 15 Penn State (12-4, 5-1 B1G) | Live Stats | B1G+
SERIES HISTORY - RUTGERS
• Penn State is 38-9 all-time against Rutgers in a series that began in 1977.
• The Lions are 21-1 against the Scarlet Knights in matches played at Rec Hall.
• Penn State has won 29 consecutive matches in the series and 49 consecutive sets. Rutgers last won a set against Penn State in 2001.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers is 8-9 overall and 0-6 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights started strong with an 8-3 non-conference record before the losing streak in league play.
• Beka Kojadinovic has been the standout for Rutgers, averaging 2.91 kills, 2.54 digs and 0.54 blocks per set. She hit .304 with 10 kills in the first match against Penn State this season.
• The Knights' most recent win this season came by a 3-1 score over East Tennessee State.
A LOOK AT THE BIG TEN STANDINGS
• Through six matches, Penn State sits in a three-way tie at 5-1 with Wisconsin and Purdue for second place in the Big Ten standings.
• Nebraska is the lone unbeaten team in Big Ten play at 7-0.
NATIONAL RANKINGS STREAK
• Penn State has been ranked in 495 consecutive AVCA Coaches Polls.
• The Lions have appeared in every poll since the final rankings of the 1988 season.
LAST TIME OUT
• After having its six-match winning streak halted the night prior, Penn State bounced back strong with a 3-1 win over Northwestern at Rec Hall on Saturday.
• Penn State hit .372 in the match, led by middle blockers Kaitlyn Hord and Allie Holland, who combined to hit .512 with 24 kills.
• Holland did a little bit of everything for Penn State. She hit .333 with 10 kills and four aces in addition to her five blocks. Hord hit .455 with seven kills from her spot in the middle, while Kudryashova had eight kills.
WEEKLY AWARDS
• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (1) -- Jonni Parker (9/6)
• Big Ten Setter of the Week (1) -- Gabby Blossom (9/27)
UP NEXT
• Penn State heads to West Lafayette, Indiana, to play No. 6 Purdue on Sunday at 2 p.m. The match will air live on ESPN2.