UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Adanna Rollins stepped up big in front of the home crowd Friday night, leading No. 15 Penn State women's volleyball to a 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-23) win over Michigan at Rec Hall. The senior finished with 21 kills on .400 hitting and completed the double-double with 10 digs to help the Nittany Lions improve to 16-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten.
Penn State's win came over a Michigan team that is receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Wolverines dropped to 13-9 overall and 6-7 in the conference.
Rollins came through with a great performance when Penn State needed it. After a first set loss, she totaled 11 kills on .474 hitting over the next two sets to lead the Lions to a 2-1 lead. She had zero errors in the third set, tallying five kills on nine swings. She then added four kills in the match-clinching fourth set.
Of course, Rollins didn't do it alone. It was a team effort with numerous other players contributing with solid showings. Kaitlyn Hord hit .407 with 14 kills and six blocks, Anjelina Starck finished with eight kills and a career-high 17 digs, and libero Jenna Hampton did her part with an impressive 26 digs.
Hampton's 26 digs tied Dominique Gonzalez and Ali Longo for the third most in program history for digs in a four-set match during the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present). She had 10 in the first set alone.
The most important of Hord's six blocks was a solo stuff that put Penn State up 23-21 in the second set. Following a point by Michigan, the Lions won the set and tied the match with a bad set by the Wolverines and a kill by Hord.
Penn State won by an identical score in set three and a Hord block was a factor once again. Michigan's Paige Jones had three straight kills to bring the Wolverines within one, 23-22, but Hord and Jonni Parker teamed up for a block to give the Lions a chance at set point. One chance was all they needed as a kill by Parker put her team up 2-1 in the match.
Sticking with the theme of the previous two sets, Hord again came through in the clutch with a block. She and Anjelina Starck teamed up to break a 23-23 tie. Starck followed with a kill to clinch the set and the match for Penn State.
Parker finished with 14 kills and added eight digs. Setter Gabby Blossom did her part with 54 assists while guiding the team to .298 hitting. Over the past two matches, Blossom is averaging 13.75 assists/set. Allie Holland added six kills on .455 hitting.
Paige Jones paced Michigan with 19 kills. Jess Mruzik (15 kills, 16 digs), Kendall Murray (14 kills, 14 digs) and Scottee Johnson (46 assists, 10 digs) all had double-doubles.
Penn State now turns its attention to Michigan State. The Lions host the Spartans on Saturday at 7 p.m.
