No. 4 Penn State women’s volleyball lost to No. 7 Minnesota in straight sets (22-25, 21-25, 19-25) Wednesday night at Maturi Pavilion.

The Nittany Lions started four true freshmen in their Big Ten opener against the Golden Gophers.

How It Happened

With his team up 9-8 in the first set, Russ Rose won a crucial challenge after not seeing the ball ricochet off either Jonni Parker or Kaitlyn Hord like the referees did. Minnesota utilized a timely 6-0 run to rally back from a 19-17 deficit and eventually capture the set.

Stephanie Samedy and Adanna Rollins led the Golden Gophers with 14 and 13 kills, respectively, while Taylor Leath and Allyson Cathey paced Penn State’s offense with eight kills apiece. The Nittany Lions struggled to a .168 hitting percentage in the loss — their second of the season.

Minnesota got out to a fast start in the third set, opening up a 9-2 lead on Rose’s freshman-laden squad. Both teams’ setters, Bryanna Weiskircher and Samantha Seliger-Swenson, finished with double-doubles. Kendall White had a match-high 18 digs for the Nittany Lions.

Rose said Tuesday that he thinks Minnesota runs the fastest offense in the conference. The Golden Gophers controlled the tempo in front of a loud home crowd, handing Penn State its second sweep of the season.

Despite the loss, Jenna Hampton provided quite the highlight with a full-extension save early in the match. The freshman defensive specialist set a new career high with 13 digs.

Player of the Match

Samantha Seliger-Swenson | Setter

The three-time All-American from Minnetonka, MN tallied a match-high 40 assists, 16 digs, two blocks, and a kill. She switched to No. 13 when it became available this offseason because that’s the number her aunt and mother wore.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (9-2) will face Ohio State this Sunday at 1 p.m. in Columbus.