Oct. 26, 2016
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 10 Penn State women's volleyball team (17-4, 9-1 Big Ten) travel this weekend to take on a pair of top-five opponents in the Midwest. The Nittany Lions open the back-to-back days taking on the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers (16-3, 8-2 Big Ten) on Friday, Oct. 28 at 9 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions then have a quick turnaround, facing No. 3 Minnesota (15-4, 7-3 Big Ten) the next day, Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
FIRST SERVE
- Both of Penn State's matches will be broadcast to a national audience on the Big Ten Network.
- Penn State will look to get back to its winning ways this weekend, after seeing its 15-match win streak snapped by now-No. 13 Michigan, 3-2, last time out. The win streak was the second longest in the country.
- The duo of junior outsides in Simone Lee and Ali Frantti led the charge in the loss to the Wolverines. Lee posted a team-best 27 kills, while Frantti added 20 of her own.
- Penn State has a 5-3 record against ranked opponents this season, with its most recent win over a ranked foe coming against Ohio State, in which PSU downed the then-No. 19 Buckeyes in straight sets behind 12 kills from Lee and 10 from junior middle blocker Haleigh Washington. Washington also matched a career-best hitting percentage, attacking at a .769 clip, committing zero errors.
- PSU is 3-2 in televised matches in 2016. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 in matches on the Big Ten Network, having notched victories over Purdue on the road and defeating Minnesota and Ohio State at home.
- Washington and Lee both rank among the nation's best in statistical categories. Washington ranks second in the country in hitting percentage (.468), while Simone Lee's 4.19 kills per set rank 35th in NCAA Division I.
- Three Penn State players in Lee, Washington and redshirt freshman Tori Gorrell all have chances to place among the top-five during the 25-point rally scoring era in single-season statistical categories. Lee (average kills/set) and Washington (hitting percentage) both would rank third in respective categories if the season ended today. Lee (total kills) and Gorrell (total block solos) are both poised to crack the top five as well.
- Penn State's ability to limit opponent's offense has been unmatched this season. The Nittany Lions lead the country in limiting opponent's hitting percentage, holding the opposition to a .127 efficiency.
- PSU finds itself among the top 25 in the country in two other statistical categories. The Nittany Lions have hit the ball at a .316 clip in 2016, coming in atop the league and second nationally. Penn State also averages 2.65 blocks per set, coming in fifth in the Big Ten and 23rd among Division I programs
- Following a 1-1 result last week prior, Penn State moved back to No. 10 in the country in the most recent release of the AVCA poll. The Nittany Lions opened the season ranked No. 9, with rankings spanning from No. 9 again last week and as low as No. 20. PSU has nine opponents represented within the top 25. Including the Nittany Lions, a total of eight Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25, while Purdue is currently receiving votes. For the first time in 2016, Penn State received a first-place vote last week.
PENN STATE SERIES AGAINST WEEK 10 OPPONENTS
The Nittany Lions head to Madison with a 46-7 edge against the Badgers all-time, while leading the series at Wisconsin, 18-6. PSU enters Friday on an eight-match win streak against UW.
Penn State enters Saturday with a 46-9 mark against the Gophers and the ability to sweep the season series with Minnesota. PSU is 19-6 when playing the Gophers in Minneapolis, and holds a one-match win streak against Minnesota after defeating them, 3-2, in the meeting earlier this season.
LEE, WASHINGTON, GORREL ON TRACK FOR RECORD SEASONS
Having impressive seasons thus far, junior classmates Simone Lee and Haleigh Washington are both on-track for seasons that rank among the best during the 25-point rally scoring era. Lee is averaging 4.19 kills per set currently, which would rank third during the era for single-season kills per set. Washington, currently hitting at a .468 clip, would finish third in single-season hitting efficiency if the season ended today.
In addition to the running averages, Lee currently has 302 kills on the season. With 130 more, she could crack the top five for total kills in a single season during the 25-point rally scoring era. Redshirt freshman Tori Gorrell has 19 solo stuffs so far in 2016. With just five more she could match Haleigh Washington's output from 2015 with 24 to tie for the fifth-most in the 25-point rally scoring era.
25-POINT RALLY SCORING TOTAL KILLS
1. Megan Hodge, 2009 - 560
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4. Ariel Scott, 2012 - 469
5. Deja McClendon, 2011 - 432
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Simone Lee, 2016 - 302
25-POINT RALLY TOTAL BLOCK SOLOS
1. Megan Courtney, 2012 - 32
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4. Katie Slay, 2011 - 27
5. Haleigh Washington, 2015 - 24
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Tori Gorrell, 2016 - 19
15-STRAIGHT
After opening the season at 2-3, the Nittany Lions put together its longest win streak of the past two seasons, winning 15-straight matches spanning from Sept. 9 until Oct. 22, when Penn State dropped a tough five-setter to then-No. 16 Michigan. The 15-match win streak was the second longest in the country during the span, topped only by No. 5 San Diego (16-straight). During the win streak, Penn State dropped only three total sets, knocking off five ranked opponents during the span including then-No. 1 Minnesota. Additionally, the streak beat the team's longest win streak in 2015, in which Penn State won its first 13 matches.
NITTANY LIONS' POTENT DEFENSE LEADS NATION
In the tenth week of play, Penn State has become the toughest defense in the nation for opposing teams to cope with. While 23rd nationally in blocks per set, the Nittany Lions have forced opponents to .127 hitting combined, marking the lowest opponent hitting percentage in the country.
PENN STATE OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY RANKS TOP IN THE LEAGUE
Along with stifling other teams' offense, Penn State has been extremely successful keeping its offense among the top in the country. Following nine weeks of play, the Nittany Lions rank first in the Big Ten and second in Division I in hitting efficiency, attacking a .316 clip. The Nittany Lions trail only Florida, who has a .331 efficiency. Junior Haleigh Washington continues to be one of the most consistent offensive threats in the country in 2016, ranking among the best in the nation in hitting efficiency. Hitting at a .468 clip in all matches this season, the Colorado Springs, Colorado product leads the Big Ten and ranks second in NCAA Division I in hitting percentage.
LEE'S OFFENSE GUIDES NITTANY LIONS
With double-figure kills in all but three matches this season, junior Simone Lee's 4.19 kills per set leads the Big Ten standings and places 35th nationally. Lee also ranks 33rd in points nationally, logging 4.70 per set. Lee posted a record-setting 30 kills against Minnesota on Oct. 5 before posting another 27 against Michigan in the team's most recent five-setter. Lee has exceeded 20 kills in four matches this season. With 302 kills thus far, Lee has accounted for nearly 31% of the Penn State offense.
PSU MIDDLES A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
The duo of Penn State starting middle blockers junior Haleigh Washington and redshirt freshman Tori Gorrell has become one of the most talented tandems in the Big Ten conference. Both rank among the top 15 in blocks per set within the conference, with Gorrell coming in at No. 11, averaging 1.13 per set, while Washington is ranked No. 13 with 1.10 per set.
DETERING AT THE HELM
Junior transfer Abby Detering (Florida) and redshirt sophomore Bryanna Weiskircher split time early in the non-conference slate at the setting position. Having started the last 17 consecutive matches, Detering has become an anchor at the position. Detering posted a career-high 61 assists and logged 10 digs against Minnesota, leading to her first ever Big Ten Setter of the Week honors. Last week, Detering posted her fifth double-double of the season, posting 59 assists and 10 digs in the loss to Michigan. The Mentor, Ohio, native's five double-doubles leads the team.
AVCA POLL UPDATE: RELEASE 10
Following a 1-1 result last week prior, Penn State moved back to No. 10 in the country in the most recent release of the AVCA poll. The Nittany Lions opened the season ranked No. 9, with rankings spanning from No. 9 again last week and as low as No. 20. PSU has nine opponents represented within the top 25. Including the Nittany Lions, a total of eight Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25, while Purdue is currently receiving votes. For the first time in 2016, Penn State received a first-place vote last week.
NITTANY LION ALUMS EARN BRONZE WITH TEAM USA
Penn State women's volleyball All-American alums Alisha Glass and Christa (Harmotto) Dietzen earned a Bronze medal with the United States Women's National Team at the Olympic Games in Rio.
Having played key roles for Team USA throughout the event, Glass and Dietzen helped the United States to a 3-1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19) win against the Netherlands to clinch The Americans' second Bronze medal since the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain. Team USA went 6-0 through Pool play before a close 3-2 loss to Serbia in the semifinals moved the United States to 6-1 heading into the Bronze medal match.
Penn State women's volleyball now has four Olympic medalists in Nittany Lion program history as Glass earns her first and Dietzen picks up her second consecutive. Having previously earned Silver with the U.S. at the 2012 Games in London, Dietzen is Penn State's first women's volleyball alum to win two Olympic medals as a member of the 12-woman roster.
From Hopewell Township, Pa., Dietzen was a two-time first-team All-American and the 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in women's volleyball. From Leland, Mich., Glass also was a two-time first-team All-American for the Nittany Lions. Glass was a member of the initial three national title squads and Dietzen was a member of the first two squads, playing for Hall of Fame Coach Russ Rose.
WHAT'S UP NEXT?
Penn State will return to Rec Hall after the road weekend, hosting Nebraska and Iowa. The Nittany Lions open with the Cornhuskers on Friday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m., before playing Iowa on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m.