No. 6 Penn State women’s volleyball closed out this weekend’s Cyclone Invitational with a sweep over LSU Saturday afternoon.

Jonni Parker’s match-high 11 kills gave the Nittany Lions the edge in the 25-16, 25-11, 25-16 victory over the Tigers. The win is Penn State’s fifth-straight sweep of the season.

How It Happened

Penn State rolled out its usual starting lineup consisting of right side Jonni Parker, setter Gabby Blossom, outside hitter Allyson Cathey, middle blockers Kaitlyn Hord, Tori Gorrell, and Serena Gray, and libero Kendall White.

Parker led the Nittany Lions with a match-high 11 kills, hitting at a .391 clip. The sophomore right side also dove for five digs and scored a service ace. Parker has now recorded double-digit kills in two consecutive outings.

Kaitlyn Hord showed off her strong defensive skill set throughout Saturday’s match. The middle blocker recorded two blocks in the first set and finished with five on the day.

Starting setter Gabby Blossom continued to impress in the limelight, dishing out 35 assists in her sixth career start. She’s now accumulated 170 on the season.

Freshman outside hitter Lauren Clark came off the bench in the second set of the match and recorded her first career kill, while fellow freshman Macall Peed recorded her first career ace in the third set. Clark finished the match with three blocks, a dig, and two kills.

Five Nittany Lions finished Saturday’s contest with at least five digs, including Kendall White (13), Gabby Blossom (9), Keeton Holcomb (6), Jonni Parker (5), and Allyson Cathey (5). White also totaled three assists in the victory over the Tigers.

Player of the Match

Kaitlyn Hord | Middle Blocker

The sophomore standout recorded eight kills on .438 hitting Saturday afternoon. Hord also notched a whopping five blocks, an assist, and two digs in the match.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (5-0) will return to Rec Hall for a highly awaited match against reigning national champion No. 1 Stanford on Friday, September 13. The 2018 NCAA Elite Eight rematch will kick off at 9:00 p.m.