No. 5 Penn State women’s volleyball made easy work of Iowa Saturday night in a 3-0 sweep at Rec Hall.

Kaitlyn Hord’s team-high 11 kills gave the Nittany Lions a much-needed boost in the 25-19, 25-17, 25-21 victory against the Hawkeyes.

How It Happened

Defensive specialist Keeton Holcomb made her third-straight start for the Nittany Lions, once again replacing former starter Allyson Cathey in the starting lineup.

Penn State got off to a rough start against Iowa following some unlucky bounces and a few poor blocks. Although they trailed by as many as three points, the Nittany Lions rallied back and took the opening set 25-19.

The Nittany Lions never looked back, taking the second set 25-17 and the third 25-21. Great passing and clean hitting gave the team a massive boost in the easy-going win.

To no one’s surprise, Penn State’s strong middle blockers continued to impress against Iowa. Kaitlyn Hord and Serena Gray combined for 20 kills and eight total blocks in the victory.

Allyson Cathey once again provided a huge spark for the Nittany Lions off the bench. The outside hitter totaled five kills on .312 hitting in addition to three assisted blocks.

Penn State’s defensive specialists put on a clinic against the Hawkeyes. Star libero Kendall White racked up eight digs and an assist, while Keeton Holcomb and Jenna Hampton contributed five and three digs, respectively.

Freshman outside hitter Amanda Phegley came off the bench in the third game and recorded her first-ever kill with the Nittany Lions. She finished with three on a perfect 1.000 hitting clip.

Perhaps the most astounding statistic of the night was Penn State’s absence of hitting errors in the first two sets. The Nittany Lions ended the match with just five — all of which coming in the third game.

“Based on how we finished the match a couple days ago against Wisconsin, I was pleased with the effort tonight,” head coach Russ Rose said. “Amanda [Phegley] came off the bench and gave us a much-needed boost at the net.”

“[Phegley] has the ability to hit a really fast ball that’s really hard to defend,” Gabby Blossom said. “She brings a different option to our offense. The numbers speak for themselves, but she brings a different vibe to the court.”

Penn State’s win over Iowa improved the team’s all-time record against the Hawkeyes to a shining 54-0. The two programs will meet again on November 1 in Iowa City.

Player Of The Match

Kaitlyn Hord | Middle Blocker

Hord absolutely shined on the court tonight, folks. The middle blocker notched 11 kills on an insane .612 hitting in addition to five total blocks.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (10-3, 3-1 Big Ten) will return to Rec Hall on Friday, October 11 for a match against Maryland. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.