No. 3 Women's Volleyball Hosts JMU and Yale for Penn State Classic
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 3 Penn State Women's Volleyball welcomes James Madison and Yale to Rec Hall for the Penn State Classic this weekend. The Nittany Lions play the Dukes on Friday at 6 p.m., and the Bulldogs on Sunday at 2 p.m. The two visiting teams play each other on Saturday at 11 a.m.
All three matches this weekend will stream live on B1G+.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Sept. 20
6 p.m. - James Madison (5-3) at #3 Penn State (8-1) | Live Stats | Watch
Saturday, Sept. 21
11 a.m. - Yale (4-2) vs. James Madison (5-3) | Live Stats | Watch
Sunday, Sept. 22
2 p.m. - Yale (4-2) at #3 Penn State (8-1) | Live Stats | Watch
PENN STATE CLASSIC
• Penn State is 125-4 all-time in the Penn State Classic. The event has been held all but three seasons - 2010, 2011, 2020-21 - since 1980.
• The Nittany Lions have won 17 straight matches in the event, defeating 16 different teams from 13 different conferences. They have won 51 of 52 sets played during that stretch.
LAST TIME OUT
• No. 3 Penn State suffered its first loss of the season, falling 3-0 at No. 1 Pitt.
SERIES HISTORY - JAMES MADISON
• Penn State is 6-0 in the all-time series with James Madison. The teams first played in 1977.
• The teams are set to play for the second-straight season after not playing since 2000 prior to that.
• The Nittany Lions are 4-0 against the Dukes at Rec Hall, including a 3-0 win last season. Jess Mruzik hit .339 with 26 kills in that match.
SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
• James Madison, which played in the NCAA Tournament last season, is 5-3 following three straight wins over UC San Diego (3-2), High Point (3-2), and Western Michigan (3-1).
• The Dukes were picked as the favorites in the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Poll. Redshirt senior outside hitter Miette Veldman was named Preseason All-Sun Belt. She was a first-team all-conference honoree at the end of last season.
• Current Penn State assistant coach Michael Henchy spent the previous three seasons on the staff at James Madison.
SERIES HISTORY - YALE
• Penn State is 11-0 in the all-time series with Yale. The teams first played in 1978.
• The Nittany Lions have lost just one set against the Bulldogs.
• The teams played in the NCAA First Round last season. The Nittany Lions won 3-1 in Lawrence, Kansas.
• Jess Mruzik hit .486 with 19 kills and six digs in that match. Camryn Hannah and Anjelina Starck had five kills apiece.
SCOUTING YALE
• Yale, which played in the NCAA Tournament last season, is 4-2 following four straight wins over USC Upstate (3-0), Villanova (3-2), Fairfield (3-2), and Colgate (3-2).
• The Bulldogs were picked as the favorites in the Ivy League Preseason Poll. They return the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year in senior setter Carly Diehl, as well as three All-Ivy league honorees in senior middle hitter Gigi Barr, senior outside hitter Mila Yarich, and sophomore right side Betsy Goodenow.
STREAKS TO WATCH
Team
· 8 straight wins at Rec Hall
UP NEXT
• Up next for Penn State is a match at No. 6 Purdue on Wednesday.