No. 7 Penn State women’s volleyball swept No. 19 Michigan 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-15) Wednesday night at Rec Hall.

The Nittany Lions also prevailed in straight sets September 30 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.

How It Happened

Penn State hit .484 as a team in a dominant first set win over the Wolverines, who fell to 19-9 on the season. Junior libero Kendall White became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,400 career digs.

When Michigan took its first lead of the night late in the second set, Nia Reed delivered a huge kill down the line to tie things back up at 19-all. The Nittany Lions would take the set thanks to a kill from Jonni Parker.

Reed and Parker combined for 29 kills to lead Penn State’s offense against the Wolverines, while White tallied a match-high 11 digs. Senior setter Bryanna Weiskircher finished with 42 assists, four digs, and three blocks.

“I was encouraged by the hitting this evening,” head coach Russ Rose said. “I’m really happy that Nia had a good night because she’s been battling lately and it was just a really good evening for her and Jonni and Kaitlyn [Hord].”

Player of the Match

Nia Reed | Outside hitter

Reed had match-high figures in both kills (16) and blocks (5) Wednesday night.

“I love how she’s so aggressive,” Hord said of Reed. “She never stops swinging. Tonight she just did a really great job blocking. She was a wall out there. No one could stop her. No one could dig her.”

Takeaways

• Freshmen Gabby Blossom and Allyson Cathey appear to be gaining confidence and will likely see their roles continue to grow if they keep things up.
• Jenna Hampton is showing a knack for the rare defensive specialist kill. She also led the team in service aces with two against the Wolverines.
• Freshman middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord has been an outstanding addition to Penn State’s starting lineup this season. She had a sterling .538 hitting percentage with eight kills and four blocks.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (21-6) return to Rec Hall Saturday at 7 p.m. when they host Northwestern on senior night. Penn State swept the Wildcats November 9 in Evanston.