Penn State women’s volleyball has an 8-0 record to begin the season, and after four straight sweeps, the team is preparing for a road match against Pitt on Wednesday.

The most recent AVCA poll sets up a top-three matchup, as it slotted Penn State at No. 3 for the second week in a row while the Panthers kept their No. 1 ranking with a 6-0 record.

Similar to Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center and Rec Hall, Pitt has two arenas, one of which has a capacity of just over 4,000. The other can seat 12,508. While volleyball is typically held in Fitzgerald Field House, the smaller venue, the match against Penn State was moved to Petersen Events Center to accommodate all the fans attending.

The in-state rivalry is expected to draw a big crowd of home and away fans, and Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley is looking forward to the opportunity for an early-season thriller.

“I’m excited for the team. I think it’ll be a great atmosphere. I know a lot of their families are coming and friends from school,” she said. “I don’t think you get to have a matchup like this so early in the season, so I think it’s exciting.”

Jess Mruzik, who leads the team in kills, said not only is this match exciting for college volleyball, but the state of Pennsylvania should also feel a lot of pride for having so much talent in the sport.

“I think it’s just cool that both No. 1 and No. 3 are from Pennsylvania. That’s really cool for the sport of volleyball, and I think a lot of people are going to come out and watch,” Mruzik said.

Roughly 135 miles separate State College and Pittsburgh, and while many Penn State fans are making the trip for the match, the team is still prepared for a hostile environment.

Rec Hall, home to Penn State volleyball, is a tight space that can hold up to 6,500 fans, so the Nittany Lions are adjusted to loud crowds. However, being the visiting team against a rival will pose a threat that can’t be simulated during home matches.

“Obviously, like at Rec Hall, it’s loud, but everyone likes us at Rec Hall, so I think that’ll be a little different,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “But I think this group really enjoys that sort of atmosphere, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they do.”

Schumacher-Cawley was an assistant coach the last time the Nittany Lions faced off against Pitt, which resulted in a 3-1 loss for the blue and white in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. She said only adds to the motivation to leave Pittsburgh with a victory Wednesday night.

The third-year head coach was joined on the 2021 team by two players still on the roster, Anjelina Starck and Quinn Menger, both of whom are now captains. The third current captain, Mruzik, was not with Penn State in 2021, but she is still taking on the role of a leader to help the Nittany Lions prepare for the upcoming match.

Mruzik, a fifth-year senior who started her career at Michigan, is reminding her teammates that a match of this magnitude brings a different energy from the fans and media, but they can’t let that get to their heads.

“At the end of the day, it’s just another game. Just because we’re playing the No. 1 team, that adds a little bit of hype to it, but it’s still the same sport,” Mruzik said.

After watching film and preparing, Mruzik and Penn State are remaining collected ahead of their fourth match against a ranked opponent this season. The match against the Panthers is slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18, and will be televised on the ACC Network.