UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The ninth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday night at Rec Hall, falling to Michigan 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-19). The Lions dropped to 12-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten, while the Wolverines improved to 11-1, 2-0 B1G.
Penn State struggled to terminate against Michigan, hitting just .105. Kashauna Williams paced the Lions with nine kills, while Taylor Trammell and Allie Holland had five apiece. The Wolverines finished with 10 blocks.
Jess Mruzik, a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore last season, had a big night for the Wolverines, finishing with 14 kills, nine digs, and four blocks. Jacque Boney contributed nine kills and six blocks, while May Pertofsky had an efficient match with eight kills on .538 hitting.
Gillian Grimes continued to have a solid freshman season from the service line for the Lions. She had the team's lone ace and now ranks second on the team with 11 on the season. Grimes has at least one aces in eight of the team's 13 matches.
Penn State's Maddy Bilinovic led all players with 12 digs as she reached double-digits for the ninth time this season. Anjelina Starck tallied nine digs. Seleisa Elisaia added eight.
Entering the match, Penn State was one of just four unbeaten teams in the country and the only undefeated team in the Big Ten.
Penn State is now 54-6 in the all-time series with Michigan. The Lions are 29-2 against the Wolverines at Rec Hall.
The Lions go on the road for their next match when they travel to take on No. 6 Wisconsin in Madison. The match is scheduled for 9 p.m. (ET) and will air live on B1G Network. The Badgers are 7-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten following a 3-0 win over Northwestern.