UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 12 Penn State women's volleyball goes on the road for a pair of matches this weekend. The Nittany Lions play at Temple on Friday at 7 p.m., before making the trip to play No. 2 Louisville on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Nittany Lions are 3-2 following wins over No. 22 Western Kentucky, Colgate, and James Madison at Rec Hall last weekend.
PENN STATE SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m.
#12 Penn State (3-2, 0-0 B1G) at Temple (6-1, 0-0 AAC) | Live Stats | Watch
Sunday, Sept. 10, 1 p.m.
#12 Penn State (3-2, 0-0 B1G) at #2 Louisville (7-0, 0-0 ACC) | Live Stats | ESPN2
THIS WEEK'S NOTES NOTES
• No. 12 Penn State goes on the road this week to take on two teams with a combined record of 13-1. The Nittany Lions head to Philadelphia to play the 6-1 Temple Owls on Friday at 7 p.m. before making the trip to play unbeaten and second-ranked Louisville (7-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
• Sunday's match against Louisville is Penn State's first on national TV this season. The match will air on ESPN2 with Paul Sunderland and Holly McPeak on the call.
• Friday's match against Temple is Penn State's first true road match of the season. The Nittany Lions went 7-5 on the road last season. Four of the five losses came to opponents ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA Coaches Poll.
• Penn State is set to play a nationally-ranked opponent for the fourth time in the first seven matches of the season. The Nittany Lions opened against Florida and Georgia Tech, which are ranked third and 11th, respectively, in the most recent poll, and then played No. 22 Western Kentucky at Rec Hall.
SERIES HISTORY – TEMPLE
• Penn State is 16-4 in the all-time series with Temple. The teams first played in 1977.
• The Nittany Lions won the past three matchups, sweeping the Owls twice in 2009 and again in 2018.
• Penn State is 5-0 in road matches at Temple. The teams will play in Philadelphia for the first time since 2009.
SERIES HISTORY – LOUISVILLE
• Penn State is 7-1 in the all-time series with Louisville. The teams first played in 1982.
• The Nittany Lions have win six straight matches against the Cardinals, with the most recent coming in 2013
• Penn State is 2-0 in road matches at Louisville, winning in 1984 and 2012.
PENN STATE VS. AAC
• Penn State is 30-4 all-time against current members of American Athletic Conference.
• The Nittany Lions have played eight of the 14 teams in the conference and have a winning record against all eight.
PENN STATE VS. ACC
• Penn State is 95-25 all-time against current members of Atlantic Coast Conference.
• The Nittany Lions have played 13 of the 15 teams in the conference and have a winning record against all 13.
MRUZIK NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Jess Mruzik was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Player of the Week on Tuesday after being named the MVP of the Penn State Invitational. She hit .345 while averaging 5.30 kills/set in wins over No. 22 Western Kentucky, Colgate, and James Madison.
• Mruzik is the first Penn State player to be named AVCA Division I National Player of the Week since Haleigh Washington in 2017.
MILESTONE WATCH
• Jess Mruzik recorded her 1,000th career kill during the first set of a 3-0 home win over Colgate on Saturday, Sept. 2. She enters Friday's match with 1,030 career kills.
• Two other Penn State players are nearing 1,000 career kills. Camryn Hannah has 986, while Zoe Weatherington has 970.
• Players that reached major milestones prior to this season include Mac Podraza (4,162 assists) and Lina Perugini (1,676 digs).
UP NEXT
• The Nittany Lions host UMBC and Seton Hall for the Penn State Classic on Sept. 15-17.
