Indiana (12-13, 1-11 B1G) at No. 8 Penn State (17-4, 10-2 B1G) | Friday, Nov. 8 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats | Listen | BTN+ ($)
No. 15 Purdue (15-6, 7-5 B1G) at No. 8 Penn State (17-4, 10-2 B1G) | Saturday, Nov. 9 - 7:00 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats | Listen | BTN+ ($)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The eighth-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team is set for two matches at Rec Hall this weekend. The Nittany Lions will host Indiana on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and welcome No. 15 Purdue on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tori Gorrell, Keeton Holcomb, Kristin Krause, Emily Sciorra, and Kendall White will be honored for Senior Day prior to Saturday's match.
Penn State is 17-4 overall and 10-2 in the Big Ten after splitting a pair of road matches last weekend. The Lions swept Iowa on Friday and then went five sets in a loss at then-No. 8 Nebraska on Saturday. The Huskers secured the win with a 15-13 victory in the final set.
The Lions are 100-24 overall and 56-15 in the Big Ten over the past four years with the current senior class. They have been ranked in every national poll and advanced to the NCAA Regional every year during that time.
Indiana is 12-13 overall and 1-11 in the conference after eight consecutive losses. The Hoosiers went five sets in three of those matches, including a 3-2 loss to then-No. 20 Purdue.
Penn State is 53-1 in the all-time series with Indiana, including a current 13-match winning steak. The Lions have won 30 consecutive sets over the Hoosiers dating back to 2012. They are a perfect 27-0 against the Hoosiers at Rec Hall.
Purdue is 15-6 overall and 7-5 in the league after falling to then-No. 6 Minnesota in four sets. That snapped a four-match winning streak, which included an upset of then-No. 5 Nebraska in a four-set match.
The Lions are 56-7 all-time against the Boilermakers. Purdue won 3-2 in the second meeting last season, ending Penn State's 13-match winning streak in the series.
The 2019 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by McLanahan's.
FULL NOTES: Penn State vs. Indiana/Purdue
PENN STATE
Record: 17-4
Big Ten: 10-2
2018: 26-8 (14-6 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Russ Rose
At Penn State: 1,289-210 (41st)
Overall: 1,289-210 (41st)
Location: University Park, Pa.
INDIANA
Record: 12-13
Big Ten: 1-11
2018: 16-15 (7-13 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Steve Aird
At Indiana: 28-28 (second)
Overall: 83-102 (fifth)
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
PURDUE
Record: 15-6
Big Ten: 7-5
2018: 24-9 (12-8 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Dave Shondell
At Purdue: 344-176 (16th)
Overall: 344-176 (16th)
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
PENN STATE AGAINST THE BIG TEN
The Nittany Lions are 497-75 all time in Big Ten play, posting a winning percentage of .869. Penn State has had a winning record in Big Ten play every season since joining the conference in 1991. The Lions went undefeated with a 20-0 record against conference opponents in six of those seasons.
STRONG IN THE MIDDLE
Sophomore middle blockers Kaitlyn Hord and Serena Gray rank first and sixth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage. Hord is hitting .437, good enough for fourth in the nation, while Gray his hitting .352.
TOP-FIVE ATTENDANCE
Penn State currently ranks fifth in the nation in home attendance, averaging 3,628 fans through 12 matches at Rec Hall. The Big Ten holds four of the top five spots and seven of the top 15 spots in the national home attendance rankings.
NATIONALLY RANKED
Penn State jumped to No. 8 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 453 consecutive polls dating back to the end of the 1988 season.
BIG TEN LEADS THE WAY IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
Four Big Ten teams appeared in the top 10 of the most recent AVCA national rankings — No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Nebraska, and No. 8 Penn State. No other conference has more than two teams in the top 10.
WHITE NEARS DIGS RECORD
Senior Kendall White ranks second in program history with 1,818 career digs. She needs 140 to pass Kaleena Walters (2002-05) to become the all-time leader.
WINS AGAINST EIGHT CONFERENCES
Penn State's 17 wins this season have come against teams from eight different conferences, including the CAA, Patriot League, American Athletic Conference, Big 12, SEC, Pac 12, ACC, and Big Ten.
BIG TEN AWARDS
- Kaitlyn Hord won the team's lone Big Ten Player of the Week recognition following the second weekend of play. She earned the award after being named the MVP at the Cyclone Invitational, where the Lions swept Iowa State and LSU.
- Kendall White has won one Defensive Player of the Week award this season, giving her six for her career. She won the award on Oct. 14, after averaging 4.00 digs per set in wins over Maryland and Ohio State.
- Gabby Blossom won two Setter of the Week award this season, the first two of her career. She received the honor on Oct. 21, after averaging 12.14 assists/set in road wins over Michigan and Michigan State. She then won the next week on Oct. 28 after averaging 12.25 digs/set in wins over No. 17 Illinois and Maryland.
BIGGEST COMEBACK (SET)
Penn State's biggest comeback to win a set this season came during a sweep at Michigan State on Oct. 20. The Lions trailed 21-14 before battling back to win the set 26-24. They went on to score the first six points of the second set.
BIGGEST COMEBACK (MATCH)
Penn State came back from two sets down to beat Illinois 3-2 (18-25, 24-26, 25-15, 30-28, 15-13) at Rec Hall on Oct. 23. The Illini had four chances at match point in set four. It was the first time the Lions erased a 2-0 set deficit in a win since beating USC on Aug. 27, 2011. That match was also played at Rec Hall.
