Classes may be over, but Penn State sports never are.

Several Penn State sports are continuing to roll their spring seasons, while a handful are just getting started in the postseason. Penn State men’s and women’s lacrosse both clinched spots in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, while Penn State men’s volleyball completed its run in the NCAA Tournament in the semifinal game.

Let’s take a closer peek at how Nittany Lion sports teams performed over the last two weeks.

Men’s Volleyball

In the NCAA tournament quarterfinals on May 2, the Nittany Lions faced off with familiar foe Ohio State. Despite the two teams’ last matchup resulting in a loss for Penn State, the NCAA Tournament was quite different. The Nittany Lions walked away with a 3-1 win and moved on to the semifinals.

Just two days later, on May 4, Penn State went head-to-head with fellow top-five opponent and defending 2022 National Champion Hawaii. Despite an effort for a reverse sweep, the Nittany Lions were defeated by the Rainbows in a close 3-2 match.

The men’s volleyball team’s season is over, but if the 2023 season was any indication of what’s to come, this will be a group to watch next year.

Baseball

Frankly, Penn State baseball is not having a great time.

Its April 25 game at West Virginia was hard to watch as the innings went on and the Nittany Lions ultimately fell 14-2. The following Saturday brought a doubleheader against Iowa. Penn State dropped the first game 9-6 but secured a win later in the day with an 8-4 victory. The third game of the series, which was supposed to be held Sunday, April 30, was canceled due to inclement weather.

The Nittany Lions traveled to New Jersey for a series against Rutgers with three games from May 5 to 7. The Scarlet Knights showed their dominance early on and defeated Penn State 8-1 on Friday followed by a 10-0 loss for the Nittany Lions on Saturday. To wrap up the series, Penn State still couldn’t snag a win and fell 8-2 to the Scarlet Knights.

Softball

Wrapping up Big Ten play, Penn State softball has been busy. In a doubleheader with Illinois on April 29, the Nittany Lions walked away with two wins, 9-1 and 5-2 respectively. The third game of the series, scheduled for April 30, was also canceled due to bad weather.

The following weekend, the team traveled to Indiana to face off with Purdue for three games. The May 5 game resulted in a close 4-3 victory for the Nittany Lions, followed up by a slightly more comfortable 3-1 win on May 6. The final game was still close, but Penn State trailed and ultimately fell 2-1 to the Boilermakers.

The series at Purdue concluded regular-season play for the softball team. It will play in the Big Ten Tournament beginning May 10, where it received a No. 7 seed.

Men’s Lacrosse

The men’s lacrosse team’s Big Ten Tournament run ended as quickly as it began. After triumphing over Michigan just weeks earlier, the Nittany Lions faced the Wolverines in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and it didn’t conclude with the same result. Penn State dropped the close game 17-15 on May 4 and ended its postseason in the conference.

Though their Big Ten Tournament run has come to a close, the Nittany Lions will get a second chance at postseason play in the NCAA Tournament. Penn State received a No. 5 seed and will battle Princeton on Sunday, May 14.

Women’s Lacrosse

Penn State women’s lacrosse also faced Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions couldn’t hold their ground and lost by a score of 14-8 on April 29.

Similar to the men’s team, the group will get a second chance at the postseason and will face Stony Brook in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on May 12. This is Missy Doherty’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.

Track & Field

The Nittany Lions traveled to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia the weekend of April 28. The women’s 4×800 relay placed first for the second year in a row and established a new school record. The men’s 4×800 placed in second, and the men’s 4×400 placed in third, becoming the second team to ink a new Penn State record that weekend.

Penn State hosted the Jim Thorpe Invitational on May 5, which also served as the senior recognition meet. Many athletes posted personal bests to propel them to first place, including Austin Gallant in the 400-meter run, Jean Starr in the hammer throw, and Charlotte Costich in the 3,000-meter run.

The team will compete in the Big Ten Championships next weekend.

Men’s Tennis

Penn State men’s tennis faced Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on April 27. With a 4-3 loss to the Hoosiers, the Nittany Lions’ season officially came to an end. The team finished with a 15-12 record.

Women’s Tennis

The women’s tennis team also played in the Big Ten Tournament and faced Maryland in the opening round. The Terrapins defeated the Nittany Lions 4-2, effectively ending their season. Penn State wrapped up the 2023 season with a 12-14 record.

Men’s Golf

Despite a late comeback effort in the final round of the Big Ten Tournament, the golf course in New Jersey was rained out. The final round couldn’t be completed, and Penn State had to settle with its scores following the second round, which placed it in 11th.

Women’s Golf

Though the team’s season is complete, Nittany Lion Mathilde Delavallade is preparing to travel to Athens, Georgia, to compete in regional play in the NCAA women’s golf championship. Delavallade will be placed on a team with other top golfers from around the east coast. Play will begin Monday, May 8.