UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 15 Penn State women's volleyball closed the regular season on a high note Saturday with a 3-0 (25-22, 28-26, 25-19) win over Iowa in a Big Ten match at Rec Hall.
The Lions now wait to see their opponent and first-round site in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. They enter the postseason at 20-10 overall and 13-7 in the Big Ten. They have won at least 20 matches in all 43 seasons under head coach Russ Rose, with the exception of the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. The Hawkeyes wrapped up their season at 6-24 overall and 4-16 in the conference.
Penn State received huge offensive nights from three players, two of which were amongst the nine players being honored for Senior Night. Senior Kaitlyn Hord hit .484 with 16 kills and six blocks, while senior Jonni Parker finished with 12 kills on .478 hitting and added 11 digs for a double-double. Sophomore Allie Holland joined Hord with a dominant effort in the middle, totaling eight kills on .800 hitting and three blocks.
Hord's 14th kill of the match gave her 1,000 for her career. She reached the milestone just one night after recording her 500th career block in a match against Minnesota.
Joining Hord and Parker in the group being honored for Senior Night were Gabby Blossom, Keatan Broughton, Katie Clark, Jenna Hampton, Erika Pritchard, Adanna Rollins and Sophie Walls.
Blossom and Hampton had their usual spot in the starting lineup and posted numbers on pace with what they've had all season that could land them All-Big Ten honors. Blossom recorded a double-double with 48 assists and 10 digs while leading the team to a .312 hitting percentage. Hampton led all players with 18 digs in the three-set match. Rollins also started and tallied six kills and eight digs.
Walls came off the bench and had a serving run that proved to be pivotal in the second set. She entered with Penn State leading 14-12, and the Lions scored four straight point with her at the line to go up 18-12. The run included a kill by Rollins, back-to-back kills by Hord and a combined block by Hord and Blossom.
As it turned out, Penn State needed that 4-0 run and six-point lead. Iowa battled back to send the set to extra points. Hord and Rollins came through with back-to-back kills to give the Lions a 28-26 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Iowa was led by Courtney Buzzerio, who hit .385 with 17 kills. Amiya Jones and Hannah Clayton finished with eight kills apiece.
Penn State improved to 56-0 against Iowa in a series that began in 1991. The Lions are 29-0 against the Hawkeyes in matches played at Rec Hall.