UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 4 Penn State Women's Volleyball hosts Illinois for its annual THON Match Friday night at Rec Hall. The Big Ten matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m., and will stream on B1G+.
Penn State enters at 23-2 overall and 13-1 in the Big Ten as it looks to stay within striking distance for the conference title. The Nittany Lions currently sit just one match back of first-place Nebraska with six matches to play in the regular season.
PROMOS/THEME
• THON Match
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Nov. 15 – 7 p.m. ET
Illinois (17-7, 9-5 B1G) at #4 Penn State (23-1, 13-1 B1G) | Live Stats | Watch
SERIES HISTORY - ILLINOIS
• Penn State is 51-13 in the all-time series with Illinois. The teams first played in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions have won six of the past eight matches in the series since 2019, including a sweep in Champaign last season.
• Penn State is 28-4 against Illinois at Rec Hall.
• The Nittany Lions are 2-1 against the Illini under head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
• Jess Mruzik has averaged 4.20 kills and 2.80 digs per set in four career matches against Illinois. She recorded double-doubles in each of her past three matches against the Illini. Alexa Markley has found success against Illinois during her career, hitting .350 while averaging 3.50 kills/set over three matches against the Illini.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
• Illinois is 17-7 overall and 9-5 in the Big Ten following back-to-back home wins over No. 20 USC (3-2) and Ohio State (3-0).
• The Illini were picked 11th in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. Graduate student outside hitter Raina Terry was named Preseason All-Big Ten. She is a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection during her career.
• Illinois’s top win in non-conference play came by a 3-1 score at Western Kentucky.
STREAKS TO WATCH
Gillian Grimes
· 13 straight matches with double-digit digs
Camryn Hannah
· 7 straight matches with double-digit kills
Team
· 16 straight wins at Rec Hall
MILESTONES
• Jess Mruzik recorded her 1,000th career kill during the first set of a 3-0 home win over Colgate on Sept. 2, 2023. She recorded her 1,000th career dig in the second set of a 3-1 win at Indiana on Oct. 13, 2024. She enters the weekend with 1,841 career kills, 1,072 digs, and 98 aces.
• Camryn Hannah recorded her 1,000th career kill during the first set of a 3-0 home win over UMBC on Sept. 15, 2023. She enters the weekend with 1,586 career kills.
• Taylor Trammell recorded her 500th career block in a home win over Maryland on Oct. 3, 2024. She enters the weekend with 541 career blocks.
• Gillian Grimes recorded her 1,000th career dig in a 3-1 win at Northwestern on Nov. 8, 2024. She enters the weekend with 1,015 career digs and 86 career aces.
REC HALL SUCCESS
• Penn State is 721-55 (.929) all-time at Rec Hall.
• The Nittany Lions are 343-38 (.900) against current Big Ten opponents at Rec Hall and 378-17 (.957) against non-conference opponents.
• Penn State is 12-0 at Rec Hall this season
UP NEXT
• Penn State heads to College Park to take on Maryland on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Terrapins are 12-13 overall and 3-11 in the Big Ten following back-to-back wins over Michigan State and UCLA.