Women's Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Friday at Rec HallWomen's Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Friday at Rec Hall
Mark Selders

Women's Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Friday at Rec Hall

The Nittany Lions host Delaware State for their opening-round match

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 4 Penn State Women's Volleyball welcomes three team to Rec Hall this weekend for the NCAA First and Second Rounds. The Nittany Lions, who are the No. 1 seed in their region, open the tournament against Delaware State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The other first-round match in Happy Valley features eighth-seeded North Carolina against Yale at 5 p.m.

The winners of the two Friday matches play each other Saturday in the second round. That contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Rec Hall. All matches this weekend will stream on ESPN+

HOW TO FOLLOW
Round 1 | Friday, Dec. 6
5 p.m. | Yale (19-5, 12-2 Ivy) vs. #8 seed North Carolina (22-7, 14-6 ACC) | Live Stats | Watch
7:30 p.m. | Delaware State (17-13, 11-4 MEAC) at #1 seed Penn State (29-2, 19-1 B1G) | Live Stats | Watch

Round 2 | Saturday, Dec. 7
6:30 p.m. | Winner of Yale/North Carolina vs. Winner of Delaware State/Penn State

OPENING NOTES
• Penn State is set to open its 44th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It is the only program in the country to play in all 44 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournaments since the inaugural event in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions received the No. 3 overall seed and the top seed in their region. It is their highest seed since bein the overall No. 1 in the 2017 bracket.
• Friday marks Penn State’s third NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh postseason match under Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who is in her third season as Penn State head coach. They are 4-2 during that stretch, making the NCAA Regional Semifinal in each of her first two seasons.

PENN STATE NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Penn State, which has won seven national titles, is 110-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Nittany Lions are 69-3 in NCAA Tournament matches played at Rec Hall.
• Penn State has made the National Semifinals 13 times and the National Championship match 10 times.
• Delaware State and Penn State will meet for the first time in the NCAA Tournament, making the Hornets the 72nd different postseason opponent for the Nittany Lions. Just eight of those teams have a winning record against Penn State in the NCAA Tournament.

PENN STATE IN ROUND OF 64
• Penn State is 25-0 in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1998.
• The Lions are 75-3 in sets played during that stretch, dropping one set to Howard in 2017, one to Towson in 2021, and one to Yale last season.
• Rec Hall was the venue for 23 of the 25 matches.

SERIES HISTORY - DELAWARE STATE
• Penn State is 1-0 in the all-time series with Delaware State, winning the only meeting between the teams in 2007. The Nittany Lions won that match 3-0 at the Yale Classic in New Haven, Connecticut.
• Current Penn State assistant coach Megan Hodge Easy played in that 3-0 win over the Hornets in 2007. She hit .375 with 13 kills, eight blocks, four digs, and one ace.

HOW THEY GOT HERE - PENN STATE
• Penn State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 29-2 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten on its way to its first conference title since 2017.
• The Nittany Lions received one of the four top seeds and the right to host their matches through the Regional Final.

HOW THEY GOT HERE - DELAWARE STATE
• Delaware State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 17-13 overall and 11-4 in the MEAC on its way to its second conference title in three seasons.
• In each of its two recent NCAA Tournament appearances the Hornets were matched up with a top seed in their region. They traveled to play Nebraska in 2022 and are now set to make the trip to Happy Valley this season.
• Graduate student outside hitter Alondra Maldonado is a three-time first-team All-MEAC selection. Junior outside hitter Gerren Tomlin was a first-team honoree this season, while freshman setter Paige Ahakuelo was tabbed as the MEAC Rookie of the Year.

STREAKS TO WATCH
Gillian Grimes
· 4 straight matches with double-digit digs
· 3 straight matches with at least one ace

Camryn Hannah·
· 13 straight matches with double-digit kills

Jess Mruzik
· 5 straight matches with double-digit kills
· 5 straight matches with double-digit digs
· 5 straight matches with double-doubles
· 3 straight matches with at least one ace

Team
· 20 straight wins at Rec Hall

Team
· 19 straight wins at Rec Hall

REC HALL SUCCESS
•  Penn State is 725-55 (.930) all-time at Rec Hall.
•  The Nittany Lions are 347-38 (.901) against current Big Ten opponents and 378-17 (.957) against non-conference opponents.

REC HALL STREAK
• The Nittany Lions take a lengthy Rec Hall winning streak into the NCAA Tournament, winning 20 straight at home dating back to last season. The Nittany Lions’ last home loss came to Nebraska on Nov. 3, 2023.