No. 20 Penn State women’s volleyball (1-0) defeated UConn (0-1) in three sets (25-13, 25-15, 28-26) in its first match of the season.

The unmatched momentum from Rec Hall and tremendous kills from middles Taylor Trammel and Allie Holland, as well as outside hitter Anastasiya Kudryashova, brought the offensive power. To capitalize on their powerhouse performance, the Nittany Lions also had five aces.

This win also served as new head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s first win at the helm of the women’s volleyball program.

How It Happened

In their first match of the 2022 season, Penn State and UConn started off tight with a 3-2 score through the first five points, but Penn State quickly picked up the momentum and made the score 9-3. Three kills each from Penn State’s Taylor Trammel and Allie Holland catapulted the score to 18-9.

Penn State extended their lead 22-12, which forced a UConn timeout, but the Huskies were able to get the ball back on the next serve. At the end of the first set, UConn attempted to get in reach, but ultimately Penn State took the first set 25-13.

Unlike the first set, UConn came out in the second and kept the score a close 4-2 to start. A series of errors for the Nittany Lions let UConn tie it at 6-6, and hold that tie through 10-10 until junior Taylor Trammel’s massive kill from the middle put Penn State on top again.

The Nittany Lions then went on an 8-0 run, making the score 18-10. An ace from setter Seleisa Elisaia boosted Penn State to finish off the second set with a score of 25-15.

For the first time in the match, UConn was able to go up 4-1, but a challenge from head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley brought the score back down to 3-2. A few more points were shared between both sides, but a serving error from Penn State once again gave UConn the lead.

The back and forth continued as the teams were once again tied at 14. UConn was able to have their biggest lead of the game at 17-15, but Penn State quickly tied up the score again. For another first time in the match, the Huskies were able to hit the 20-point mark, leaving Penn State in a 21-19 deficit. The Nittany Lions rebounded to tie the score 22-22.

In the final points of the game, the score was knotted at 23-23 and continued that way one again through 26-26, but a kill from Zoe Weatherington gave Penn State the 28-26 win in the third and final set.

Player Of The Match

Taylor Trammel | Middle Blocker

While being the driving force of confidence for Penn State’s first game back, Trammel also had nine kills with a .500 hitting percentage. On the defensive side of things, Trammel also amassed four blocks from multiple places on the court.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will be back at Rec Hall at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 27, to take on Loyola Maryland.