No. 9 Penn State women’s volleyball beat No. 17 Purdue 3-1 (26-28, 26-24, 25-22, 25-21) Wednesday night at Holloway Gymnasium.

Jonni Parker set a new career high with 18 kills against the Boilermakers, while setter Bryanna Weiskircher tallied a season-high 50 assists.

How It Happened

Purdue, which saw four players finish with double-digit kills, took the first set thanks in part to the strong play of Sherridan Atkinson. The redshirt senior led her team with 15 kills, but Parker put on an absolute show for the Nittany Lions, who rallied back to win the match in West Lafayette.

Senior outside hitters Taylor Leath and Nia Reed recorded 13 and 11 kills, respectively, while Weiskircher, Serena Gray, Amanda Phegley, and Tori Gorrell combined for 21 more kills to round out the scoring. Phegley’s six kills constituted a new career high for the Tampa native. Her former teammate at Berkeley Prep, Jenna Hampton, chipped in 10 digs.

Gorrell got the start at middle blocker with freshman Kaitlyn Hord sidelined for an unknown reason against the Boilermakers. Junior libero Kendall White turned in her best performance of the season with a team-high 27 digs and five assists. Leath and Weiskircher both notched double-doubles.

After losing its first two Big Ten matches, Penn State has now won five straight in conference play. Four Nittany Lions have already surpassed 100 kills on the season — Leath, Parker, Reed, and Hord.

Player of the Match

Jonni Parker | Right side

The Casstown, Ohio, native had 18 kills, eight digs, three blocks, three service aces, and two assists in the victory.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (14-3) welcome No. 5 Nebraska to Rec Hall Saturday at 8 p.m. for a televised match on Big Ten Network. The Cornhuskers have won each of the last seven meetings.