UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 17 Penn State women’s volleyball heads to the Pacific Northwest for a pair of Big Ten matches this weekend. The Nittany Lions play at Washington on Friday at 10 p.m. ET and at Oregon on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will air on B1G Network.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Oct. 17 | 10 p.m.
No. 17 Penn State (10-6, 4-2 B1G) at Washington (8-8, 3-3 B1G) | Live Stats | B1G Network
Saturday, Oct. 18 | 10:30 p.m.
No. 17 Penn State (10-6, 4-2 B1G) at Oregon (11-5, 2-4 B1G) | Live Stats | B1G Network
OPENING NOTES
• No. 17 Penn State makes its first-ever trip to the Pacific Northwest as part of Big Ten play as it travels to play Washington on Friday and Oregon on Saturday.
• The Huskies and Ducks joined the Big Ten last season. The Nittany Lions defeated both teams at Rec Hall on their way to winning the program’s 18th Big Ten title.
• This week marks Penn State’s first plane trip since flying to Lincoln, Nebraska and Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the season-opening AVCA First Serve event. The Nittany Lions have played just one true road match this season, defeating Maryland 3-2 in conference play.
SERIES HISTORY - WASHINGTON
• Penn State is 4-2 in the all-time series with Washington. The teams first played in 1992.
• The Nittany Lions won the first Big Ten matchup with the Huskies 3-1 last season at Rec Hall. Caroline Jurevicius had eight kills and two blocks in the win. Maggie Mendelson finished with seven kills and six blocks. Gillian Grimes led the defensive effort with 17 digs and contributed one ace.
• The Nittany Lions are 1-1 against the Huskies in Seattle, falling 3-1 in the 2006 NCAA Regional Final but winning 3-0 in the 2013 NCAA National Semifinal.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON
• Washington is 8-8 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten following a 3-0 sweep at Oregon on Sunday.
• The Huskies were picked eighth in the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Poll. They finished ninth last season and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• Junior outside hitter Kierstyn Barton was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree last season. Middle blocker Julia Hunt made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
• Senior outside hitter Alexa Markley spent her first three seasons at Penn State, including last year’s National Championship team.
SERIES HISTORY - OREGON
• Penn State is 5-3 in the all-time series with Oregon. The teams first played in 1985.
• The Nittany Lions have won four of the past five meetings with the Ducks dating back to 2018, including a 3-0 sweep at Rec Hall last season in the first Big Ten match between the teams. Maggie Mendelson had seven kills and five blocks in that win, while Caroline Jurevicius contributed five kills. Gillian Grimes led the team with 10 digs, helping hold the Ducks to .075 hitting.
• Penn State is 0-1 against Oregon in Eugene, losing 3-0 in 2021.
SCOUTING OREGON
• Oregon is 11-5 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten following 3-0 losses to USC and Washington last weekend.
• The Ducks were picked 12th in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. They finished fifth in last year’s conference standings.
• Junior Valentina Vaulet was a second-team All-Big Ten selection while playing for Michigan last season. She ranked second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation with 63 aces last season.
STREAKS TO WATCH
Gillian Grimes
· 80 straight starts at libero
· 3 straight matches with at least one ace
Addie Lyon
· 3 straight matches averagin 10.00+ assists/set
Kennedy Martin
· 67 straight matches with double-digit kills when playing at least three sets
Maggie Mendelson
· 3 straight matches with double-digit kills
NATIONAL RANKING STREAK
• Penn State was ranked No. 17 in the latest AVCA Poll.
• The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 558 consecutive AVCA Coaches Polls, which dates back to the final poll of the 1988 season.
LAST TIME OUT
• Penn State is coming off conference wins over No. 7 Wisconsin and Northwestern at Rec Hall last week. The win over the Badgers was the Nittany Lions’ ninth victory over a top-10 team over the last two seasons.
• Kennedy Martin hit .474 with 23 kills, eight digs, three blocks, and two aces in a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-16) sweep over the Badgers. Maggie Mendelson hit .320 with 10 kills. Gillian Grimes tallied nine digs to help hold the Badgers to .151 hitting.
• Addie Lyon racked up 51 assists as Penn State hit .326 in a 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16) win over the Wildcats. Kennedy Martin was dominant again, hitting .412 with 24 kills, seven digs, and two blocks. Caroline Jurevicius tallied 13 kills, while Maggie Mendelson hit .526 with 11 kills.
CAREER HIGHS SET LAST WEEK
vs. Northwestern
Jordan Hopp - digs (6)
UP NEXT
• Penn State hosts Rutgers for the team’s annual Dig Pink Match on Friday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. The Scarlet Knights are 10-9 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten following four straight losses to Nebraska (3-0), Northwestern (3-0), Illinois (3-0), and Maryland (3-1).
• The Nittany Lions then travel to play Ohio State on Sunday, Nov. 26, at noon. The Buckeyes are 3-11 overall and 0-6 in the Big Ten afer six straight losses to UCLA (3-0), USC (3-0), Washington (3-1), Oregon (3-0), Purdue (3-0), and Minnesota (3-0).
The 2025 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by Musselman's.