Penn State women’s volleyball advanced to its 16th Elite Eight thanks to a sweep of Missouri Friday afternoon in Rec Hall.

The top-seeded Nittany Lions beat the Tigers 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 behind Simone Lee’s match-high 15 kills. They’ll host Michigan State on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the NCAA quarterfinals on ESPNU.

How It Happened

Penn State got off to its strongest start of the tournament against the Tigers, hitting a ridiculous .565 in the first frame. Lee and middle blocker Haleigh Washington were clicking early, helping the Nittany Lions take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. The team would finish with an outstanding .432 clip offensively.

Mizzou jumped out to a 10-6 advantage midway through the third set to make things interesting, but Penn State stormed back with a 7-2 run to retake command, and eventually the match. It was by far the Nittany Lions’ most impressive showing of the postseason to date.

Ali Frantti turned in a strong performance with 11 kills and five digs, while setter Bryanna Weiskircher paced the team with 24 assists. Abby Detering posted a double-double for the Nittany Lions, leading the defense with a match-high 10 digs and 13 assists.

“I think the service pressure that we had was really important and it kind of caught Mizzou off guard,” Washington said postgame. “I thought we did a really good job attacking as well, which is something we’ve been working on.”

Player Of The Match

Simone Lee | Senior | Outside hitter

Lee tallied 15 kills, eight digs, and a block in the victory, hitting an even .500.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (32-1) are back in Rec Hall Saturday night against Michigan State with a trip to the Final Four in Kansas City on the line. Penn State has twice beaten the Spartans 3-1 this season.