UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Jocelyn Nathan put the finishing touches on a sweep of Michigan with an ace as Penn State Women’s Volleyball won its 13th-consecutive match with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-17) triumph in a Big Ten contest Wednesday at Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions improved to 21-1 overall and 11-0 in the Big Ten after winning their 17th-straight Big Ten regular season match and 15th-straight home match. Both streaks date back to last season. This win came over a Michigan team that fell to 16-6 overall and 6-5 in the conference.
It was a balanced attack for Penn State in the sweep. Jess Mruzik led the team with 11 kills, while Camryn Hannah tallied 10 on an impressive .350 hitting. Taylor Trammell hit .600 with seven kills, Maggie Mendelson hit .385 with seven kills, and Caroline Jurevicius hit .333 with six kills.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions received a strong performance from Gillian Grimes with 12 digs. It was the libero’s 10th-straight match with double-digit digs. Izzy Starck racked up 14 digs and added 26 assists to record her third-straight double-double. It was the freshman setter’s 10th double-double of the season.
Penn State went up against one of the better serving teams in the Big Ten and won the battle. The Nittany Lions tallied seven aces and allowed zero. Grimes and Mruzik had two apiece. Hannah, Nathan, and Starck each had one ace.
Jacque Boney was the top performer for Michigan, hitting .467 with nine kills and five blocks.
Set 1
The Nittany Lions were led by Hannah’s four kills on six attacks in a 25-16 opening-set victory. Grimes led the defensive effort with six digs, while Jurevicius and Trammell added two kills each. Penn State closed the set strong with a 3-0 run, with all three points coming on kills by Hannah.
Set 2
Despite Michigan leading 9-6 early in the second set, Penn State went on a dominant 7-0 run en route to a25-15 victory. Mruzik fueled the big run with three kills, while Jurevicius added two and went on to finish with four kills and a block for the set. Mendelson contributed four kills on .571 hitting. The set ended on a Michigan service error.
Set 3
Penn State delivered another stellar performance in a 25-17 victory to seal the sweep. The Nittany Lions held the Wolverines to just .074 hitting. Trammell, Hannah and Mruzik each tallied four kills. Penn State ended the match with a 5-0 run that was capped by a Jocelyn Nathan ace for match point.
Up Next
Penn State is back at Rec Hall when it hosts Iowa on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Hawkeyes are 9-13 overall and 3-7 in the Big Ten.