UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 11 Penn State women's volleyball put the finishing touches on an unbeaten non-conference schedule with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-13) win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday night at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions upped their record to 11-0, while the Chanticleers dropped to 8-5.
Penn State is 11-0 for the first time since 2015 after going 3-0 at the Penn State Classic. The Lions had wins over Howard and UAlbany in addition to their victory over Coastal Carolina. They swept all three opponents.
Allie Holland picked up MVP honors at the event, hitting .563 while averaging 3.00 and 1.13 blocks/set. She added one ace and finished with a team-best 3.75 points/set.
Holland was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Seleisa Elisaia and Zoe Weatherington. Elisaia guided the team to a .315 hitting percentage while averaging 9.56 assists/set. She showcased her all-around game with 1.67 digs, 1.44 blocks, and 0.89 kills/set. Weatherington hit .400 while averaging 3.00 kills/set.
Penn State hit .413 against Coastal Carolina. Holland led the way with eight kills on .800 hitting and five blocks. She had zero attack errors in the match and finished with just two on the weekend.
Weatherington was equally as dominant against the Chanticleers, posting a team-high nine kills on .615 hitting. Anjelina Starck and Kashauna Williams added eight and seven kills, respectively.
Maddy Bilinovic helped hold Coastal Carolina to .072 hitting as she led the team with 11 digs. The junior libero has recorded double-digit digs in 10 of the team's 11 matches this season.
Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, in her first season as head coach in Happy Valley, was able to show off the team's depth this weekend. All 17 players received playing time.
With Hampton and Jacksonville State's losses on Saturday, Penn State is one of just six undefeated teams in the nation. The Lions are joined by Auburn, UCF, Texas, Towson, and Valparaiso.
Penn State now turns its attention to its 20-match Big Ten schedule. The Lions open that with a pair of home games next weekend as they host Indiana on Friday and Michigan on Saturday. The Hoosiers are 7-5 following a 3-1 loss to No. 21 Western Kentucky. The Wolverines are 8-1 after back-to-back wins over North Carolina and Mississippi State.
The Lions were picked fifth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. They started the season ranked No. 21 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll but have already improved by nine spots. They are expected to see a jump into the top 10 this week thanks to losses by multiple teams ahead of them in the rankings.
