TAMPA, Fla.. – The eighth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team opens the 2023 season with a pair of nationally-ranked opponents this weekend as it travels to Tampa, Florida for the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational. The Nittany Lions play No. 11 Florida at 8 p.m. on Friday at Amalie Arena, the home of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. That is also the site of this year's NCAA Division I Championship. They then turn their attention to a match with No. 20 Georgia Tech at USF's Yuengling Center on Saturday at 6 p.m.
ROAD 2 TAMPA BAY INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 25 (Amalie Arena)
8 p.m. | #8 Penn State vs. #11 Florida | Live Stats | ESPN+
Saturday, Aug. 26 (Yuengling Center)
6 p.m. | #8 Penn State vs. #20 Georgia Tech | Live Stats | ESPN+
SEASON OPENER NOTES
• Penn State is set to open the 2023 season at Amalie Arena, which is the site of this season's NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship. The Nittany Lions play two matches at the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational, starting with a match against No. 11 Florida at Amalie Arena, before taking on No. 20 Georgia Tech at USF's Yuengling Center the following night.
• The Nittany Lions are 38-8-1 all-time in season openers. They are 1-0 in season openers under current head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley as they swept UConn at Rec Hall to begin the 2022 season.
• Friday's match against Florida will mark the eighth time Penn State has opened a season against a nationally-ranked opponent. It is the first time the Nittany Lions open against a nationally-ranked opponent since traveling to Honolulu and taking down No. 12 Hawaii to start the 2008 season.
• Penn State opened a season against an SEC opponent just one other time in program history, falling to Florida in five sets in 1999. That match was played in Lincoln, Nebraska.
SERIES HISTORY - FLORIDA
• Penn State is 8-3 in the all-time series with Florida. The teams first played in 1986.
• Friday marks the first meeting between the teams since 2013. The Nittany Lions won that match in three sets in a non-conference event in Austin, Texas.
• Penn State also won in 2009 and 2010 to give it a three-match winning streak in the series.
SERIES HISTORY - GEORGIA TECH
• Penn State is 3-1 in the all-time series with Georgia Tech. The teams first played in 1993.
• The Nittany Lions won the first three meetings in 1993, 1995, and 1996.
• The Yellow Jackets won the most recent matchup in four sets at UCF in 2021.
PENN STATE HISTORY IN TAMPA AREA
• Penn State has history in Tampa. The Nittany Lions' fourth National Championship was won at the St. Pete Times Forum when they defeated Texas in five sets.
• Current assistant coachMegan Hodge Easy led Penn State with 21 kills in the championship match that year. The win wrapped up a perfect 38-0 season.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
• Florida is ranked eighth in the AVCA Preseason Poll. The Gators are coming off a season in which they went 25-6, won the SEC, and advanced to the NCAA Regional Semifinal.
• The Gators were picked second in this season's SEC Preseason Poll.
• Sophomore setter Alexis Stucky was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team. She was the SEC Freshman of the Year and a third-team All-American last season.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
• Georgia Tech is ranked 20th in the AVCA Preseason Poll. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a season in which they went 21-8 and advanced to the NCAA Second Round.
ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
• Seven players on the 2023 Penn State roster have earned at least one all-conference honor during their collegiate career.
• Camryn Hannah – 2x second-team All-ACC (2020, 22)
• Allie Holland – first-team All-B1G (2022)
• Jess Mruzik – 2x first-team All-B1G (2021, 22)
• Lina Perugini – 2x second-team All-Sun Belt (2020, 22)
• Mac Podraza – 2022 B1G Setter of the Year, 3x first-team All-B1G ( 2020, 21, 22).
• Ally Van Eekeren – 2022 Big South Setter of the Year, first-team All-Big South
• Zoe Weatherington – honorable mention All-Pac 12 (2021)
UP NEXT
• Penn State hosts No. 24 Western Kentucky, Colgate, and James Madison for the Penn State Invitational on Sept. 1-3 at Rec Hall.
