No. 8 Penn State Women’s Volleyball Sweeps Michigan State
No. 8 Penn State women’s volleyball completed a two-game road trip Sunday afternoon with a sweep over Michigan State.
Jonni Parker led the way with 10 kills on .375 hitting in the 26-24, 25-11, 25-19 win over the Spartans.
How It Happened
Russ Rose rolled out his usual starting lineup including outside hitter Jonni Parker, right side Tori Gorrell, middle blockers Kaitlyn Hord and Serena Gray, setter Gabby Blossom, defensive specialist Keeton Holcomb, and libero Kendall White.
Penn State got off to a rough start Sunday, trailing by as many as six in the first set. The team looked outmatched by Michigan State’s strong blocking and attack, as four Spartans had at least one block in the opening game.
However, the Nittany Lions somehow managed to spark a 10-2 run, rallying from behind and ultimately taking the set 26-24. Kaitlyn Hord led the comeback with four kills, while Kendall White, Gabby Blossom, and Jenna Hampton pitched in four digs each.
Penn State carried this momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead. The Nittany Lions attacked well and didn’t let up on the gas, taking the second set 25-11. They went on to take the third set 25-19, putting the final exclamation point on an exciting match and road trip.
Offensively, four Nittany Lions finished Sunday’s match with at least eight kills. Jonni Parker totaled a team-high 10 kills, Serena Gray pitched in nine, and Tori Gorrell and Kaitlyn Hord both tallied eight.
Gabby Blossom continued her productive season against Michigan State, dishing out 34 assists in the win. She’s up to 634 assists on the season with more than a month to go.
Kendall White led Penn State defensively, recording 18 digs in Sunday’s match. With a career total of 1,755 digs, White now needs just 203 more to become Penn State’s all-time digs leader.
Player Of The Match
Kaitlyn Hord | Middle Blocker
Hord played exceptionally well against the Spartans. She recorded six total blocks and eight kills on .467 hitting in the win.
What’s Next?
The Nittany Lions (14-3, 7-1 Big Ten) will return home to Happy Valley Wednesday, October 23 to take on Illinois at Rec Hall. First serve is set for 8 p.m.
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