In a top ten showdown Friday night at Rec Hall, No. 2 Penn State women’s volleyball triumphed over No. 10 Michigan State 3-1.

The Nittany Lions topped the Spartans 25-18, 15-25, 30-28, 25-18 to improve to 16-1 on the season. Their conference winning streak now sits at six straight matches.

How It Happened

Simone Lee and Ali Frantti did most of Penn State’s early damage offensively, helping the Nittany Lions to a commanding first-set victory. Lee would finish with a match-high 17 kills and 13 digs, while Frantti chipped in eight and six.

Michigan State took a 15-6 lead over the Nittany Lions midway through the second frame, and would even the match heading into the intermission thanks to a balanced attack. Five Spartans tallied four or more kills through the first two sets for Cathy George’s squad.

Penn State got back on the track in the third, as Haleigh Washington came alive to energize the home crowd. The Colorado Springs native buried a flurry of kills to draw closer to 1,000 for her career. She’s now just 26 away from joining Frantti and Lee as the third Nittany Lion to accomplish the feat this calendar year.

On their sixth set point, Russ Rose’s Nittany Lions delivered a clutch 30-28 win to take a 2-1 lead. Penn State continued its surge in the fourth set, putting away the Spartans in impressive fashion. Heidi Thelen came on strong down the stretch with nine kills in the victory on just 20 swings.

Player Of The Match

Haleigh Washington | Senior | Middle blocker

Washington showed exactly why she’s one of the Big Ten’s most consistent offensive forces, posting a .433 hitting percentage with 14 kills.

What’s Next?

Penn State is back in Rec Hall Saturday at 7 p.m. as it plays host to Michigan.