UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 11 Penn State used a team effort to cruise past UAlbany 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-10) in non-conference women's volleyball action Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions improved to 10-0 with the win, while the Great Danes fell to 3-9.
The Lions are 2-0 at the Penn State Classic. They wrap up competition at the event with a match against Coastal Carolina tonight at 7 p.m. It will be the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Fourteen Penn State players had either a kill or a dig in the win over UAlbany. Katie Clark picked up her fourth start of the season and had a huge match defensively. She finished with nine blocks and added five kills. Clark took over in the third and final set, recording six blocks and two kills.
Allie Holland provided the spark early on for the Lions. She was perfect on her first six attacks and finished with six kills on .625 hitting. Zoe Weatherington matched Holland with six kills, while Alex Markley and Anjelina Starck added five apiece. Katie Hurta and Macy Van Den Elzen each recorded their first collegiate kill.
Starck and Maddy Bilinovic shared the team lead in digs with seven apiece. Seleisa Elisaia, Cassie Kuerschen, and Gillian Grimes each had five, while Quinn Menger contributed three. The group helped hold the Great Danes to -.011 hitting.
Penn State improved to 3-0 in the all-time series with UAlbany. The Lions also won in 2007 and 2013. All three matches in the series were played in Rec Hall.
Tonight's match against Coastal Carolina completes Penn State's non-conference schedule. A win would put the Lions at 11-0 for the first time since 2015.
Penn State, which began the season ranked No. 20 in the nation, is one of just seven teams in the country that remain unbeaten. The Lions are joined by Auburn, UCF, Jacksonville State, Texas, Towson, and Valparaiso.
