No. 11 Penn State women’s volleyball (24-7, Big Ten 13-7) beat No. 19 Purdue (20-10, Big Ten 11-9) in five sets (25-23, 27-25, 25-17, 25-15, 15-8) in its regular-season finale Friday night.

In a game that was also senior night for graduating Nittany Lions Katie Clark, Anastasiya Kudryashova, Seleisa Elisaia, and Kashauna Williams, the Nittany Lions earned their second win over the Boilermakers this season.

.@PennStateVBALL gets the 5th set dubs on Senior Night! pic.twitter.com/Uap6teMNOQ

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) November 26, 2022

How It Happened

The game started off with a 10-7 Penn State lead, but a 4-0 scoring run from Purdue gave it the 11-10 lead. The battle continued as the teams tied the score 18-18. But, the Boilermakers were able to get a leg up for the rest of the set and won 25-23.

The second set was another tight start for both teams, but huge kills and defensive plays kept the Nittany Lions within reach.

Nice kill from the back row by Starck!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/l6PjSMpu44

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) November 26, 2022

Penn State extended its lead to 17-13, but Purdue was quick to come back 19-18. It was back and forth until a huge kill from Alexa Markley secured the 27-25 win for Penn State

Set three saw Markley continuing her momentum, as she got her eighth kill of the match to put Penn State up 11-7. The Nittany Lions were up, but a 7-0 scoring run by Purdue threatened the lead at 15-14.

Penn State was able to pull away, however, and go up 20-15 before completely running away with a 25-17 win in set three.

Purdue came out fighting to stay alive by going up 9-7 before a Penn State timeout. It continued to increase that lead to 16-11. Purdue kept pushing as it took set four 25-15.

The final set of the game started off with a 2-1 Penn State lead thanks to an impressive block from Allie Holland. The Nittany Lions pushed their lead to 8-4, but the Boilermakers came roaring back to put themselves within one with the score 9-8.

But, Penn State was able to get hot and continued to score without letting Purdue get another point, winning the fifth and final set 15-8.

Player Of The Game

Katie Clark | Middle Blocker/Right Side

Shining bright during her final game in Rec Hall, Clark earned 14 kills with an impressive .360 hitting percentage. She also accounted for an assist and a dig during Friday’s match.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will now wait for their seeding in the first round of the NCAA Tournament that begins December 1.