UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State opens play in the 2021 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday with a First Round match against CAA champion Towson. The match is scheduled for 4 p.m., at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. The winner of that match will play the winner between third-seeded Pitt and America East champion UMBC in the Second Round on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Penn State is the only program in the country to participate in all 41 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championships since its inception in 1981, but is set to play a First Round matchup away from Rec Hall for the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998.
The Lions are 105-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. They are 22-0 in the Round of 64.
NCAA FIRST ROUND
Friday, Dec. 3
4 p.m. (ET) | Penn State (20-10, 13-7 B1G) vs. Towson (26-4, 12-4 CAA) | Live Stats| ESPN+
SERIES HISTORY
• Penn State is 2-0 in the all-time series with Towson, beating the Tigers in two sets in 1980 and in four sets in the 2019 NCAA Second Round.
• The 1980 match was played at Delaware, while the 2019 match was played at Penn State.
• In the 2019 NCAA Tournament win over Towson, Jonni Parker hit .447 with 19 kills and five digs. Kaitlyn Hord hit .545 with 13 kills. Gabby Blossom had 47 assists and 11 digs while leading the Lions to a .336 hitting percentage.
SCOUTING TOWSON
• Towson went 26-4 overall and 12-4 in the CAA while winning the conference's regular season and Tournament titles.
• The Tigers are set to compete in their third-straight NCAA Championship.
• Senior outside hitters Fay Bakodimou and Emily Jarome were voted first-team All-CAA following the regular season.
• Towson has held opponents to .131 hitting this season, which ranks fifth in the nation.
NATIONAL RANKINGS STREAK
• Penn State has been ranked in 502 consecutive AVCA Coaches Polls.
• The Lions have appeared in every poll since the final rankings of the 1988 season.
WEEKLY AWARDS
• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (1) -- Jonni Parker (9/6)
• Big Ten Setter of the Week (4) -- Gabby Blossom (9/27, 10/18, 11/8, 11/15)
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (1) -- Jenna Hampton (11/8)
20-WIN SEASONS
• Penn State's win over Iowa was its 20th of the season. The Lions have now reached 20 wins 42 times in Russ Rose's 43 seasons as head coach.
• The only season in which the Lions didn't total at least 20 wins under Rose was last season in 2020-21 when they only played 16 matches in a season that was abbreviated due to COVID-19.
NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORDS HELD BY PENN STATE
Team/Coach
• Most consecutive titles (4, 2007-10)
• Most consecutive postseason wins (26)
• Most titles by a coach (Rose, 7)
• Hitting % in tournament (.424, 2007)
Individual
• Aces in tournament (Hancock, 22)
• Hitting % in match (Fawcett, .889)