No. 3 Penn State women’s volleyball (13-1, 3-0 Big Ten) avoided an upset against Maryland (9-5, 0-3 Big Ten) 3-1 on Thursday night. Despite looking shaky to start, even losing the first set, the Nittany Lions figured things out by the final set.

As the Nittany Lions continued to warm up to Big Ten play, the match served as a warmup before Friday’s top-15 matchup against Oregon.

How It Happened

The Nittany Lions and the Terrapins traded points to start the match. Izzy Starck and a Maryland attack error gave Penn State its first real lead, 4-2. Another attack error from Maryland, an ace from Ava Falduto, and a kill from Maggie Mendelson completed the five-point run before Maryland called a timeout.

Maryland’s timeout did little, as Penn State rattled off two more points from a Starck kill and Camryn Hannah block. The two sides then traded points and after a kill from Sam Csire, Starck set up Hannah to return the favor.

With the score at 11-5, Caroline Jurevicius gave up an attack error before Samantha Schnitta did the same for Maryland. However, Maryland challenged the call, won, and made the score 11-7.

Taylor Trammell recorded a kill out of the video review before Hannah sent her serve over the heads of the Maryland roster and out of the court. Schnitta recorded a kill before Jess Mruzik’s block landed out of bounds. Anastasia Russ kept Maryland’s run going and made the score 12-11, but Mruzik’s kill ended that run.

A kill from Maryland and an attack error from Mendelson tied the score at 13-13 before Maryland’s cross-court kill by Schnitta and an ace by Lilly Gunter forced Penn State to call a timeout down 15-13.

Schnitta recorded another kill before Mzurik returned the favor out of the break. An attack error from Schnitta gave Penn State its 15th point before Starck and Mendelson’s block tied the set at 16 points each.

Penn State retook the lead with a kill by Mruzik before Sydney Bryant tied the set. Schnitta recorded an attack error and Bryant recorded a kill to offset each other. Two errors from Starck and one from Mendelson gave the Terrapins a 21-18 lead, leading Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley to call timeout.

Sydney Dowler and Eva Rohrbach shared a block out of the timeout for Maryland, though a service error from Ally Williams brought Penn State back within three points. Trammell and Starck shared a block, Hannah notched a kill, and Maryland called timeout with the score 22-21 for the away side.

Schnitta recorded a kill out of the break and Dowley did the same to make it set point. Rohrbach recorded a service error, but Hannah’s attack error ended the set in favor of Maryland.

As with the first set, Penn State and Maryland traded the first four points of the second set. Gillian Grimes recorded an ace before Schitta recorded a kill and an ace of her own. Trammell recorded a kill and Schitta gave up an attack error for Penn State to take a 5-4 lead.

Hannah and Bryant traded kills before a Maryland block tied the set at six. Trammell and Csire traded kills before Mruzik and Csire did the same. A kill by Schnitta, an attack error by Jurevicius, and an ace by Dowler gave Maryland an 11-8 lead.

One kill by Mendelson broke the Terrapins’ 4-0 run before two kills by Mzurik tied the set at 11. Csire recorded a kill and an error back-to-back before an error by Russ and a kill by Hannah made the score 14-12 for Penn State. Mendelson and Hannah combined for a block before Maryland called timeout to stem the bleeding.

Out of the break, Starck gave up an attack error before she and Mendelson combined on a block. Schnitta and Bryant recorded back-to-back kills before Schnitta’s ace tied the set at 16.

Penn State notched three points to take a 19-16 lead, with Maryland calling a timeout after Trammell and Jurevicius shared a block.

Starck gave up a service error out of the break, but Hannah recorded a kill and an ace to force another Maryland timeout with Penn State up 21-17. Rohrbach recorded a kill after the timeout, but Penn State responded with two points. Trammell committed a service error before Mruzik notched a kill for set point. Csire notched a kill, but Starck’s solo block ended the set 25-20.

Bryant and Schnitta started the set with kills for Maryland before Mruzik and Grimes answered for Penn State. Maryland took four of the next five points, earning a 6-3 lead. Kills went the way of Jurevicius, Bryant, and Trammell, in that order. Schitta notched a kill as Maryland clung to a three-point lead.

Two kills from Mruzik and one from Mendelson erased that lead and made the set 8-8. Csire and Mzurik traded kills before Russ and Hannah did the same. Starck gave up a service error, kicking off a 4-1 run for the Terrapins and forcing Schumacher-Cawley to call timeout.

Schnitta notched a kill before Williams gave up a service error out of the break. Rohrbach gave up an error before Trammell notched an ace to bring the score 16-15, though Csire’s kill reinstated a two-point lead for the Terrapins.

Mendelson notched a kill, but Maryland got the next two points and forced another Penn State timeout while leading 19-16.

Mruzik earned a kill out of the timeout and while Maryland recorded a block, two more points for the Nittany Lions forced a Maryland timeout. An ace from Grimes and a block from Trammell and Strarck tied the game at 20. Hannah and Trammell’s kill gave Penn State a two-point lead, and Maryland called another timeout.

Maryland drew first blood out of the timeout, but Trammell’s two kills made it set point. While Maryland earned the next two points, Schnitta’s service error gave Penn State a 2-1 set lead.

Penn State started the fourth set hot, leading 4-1. Schnitta and Hannah traded kills, as did Csire and Trammell, and Jurevicius and Csire. After Penn State recorded a block and kill from Mruzik, Maryland called timeout down 9-4.

Maryland was strong out of the timeout. While Penn State’s block was the first point after the break, Maryland went on a 3-1 run after that. After Mruzik recorded a kill, the two teams traded service errors. Mendelson recorded her own kill and after a bad set by Dowler, Maryland called another timeout down 15-9.

Mruzik recorded a service ace and service error after the timeout. Mendelson and Starck each notched kills before Grimes gave up a service error. Trammell gave up an attack error before Camryn notched a kill.

Down 20-12, it felt as if Maryland had given up on the match as it refused to call timeout. The Nittany Lions and Terrapins traded points and after Csire made a service error, Penn State led 22-14.

Bryant recorded a kill, but Gunter voided that with a service error. After Schnitta notched a kill, Mruzik’s kill made it match point.

Hannah put away the Terrapins with a kill. Penn State won the final set 25-16.

Takeaways

• Penn State didn’t look like the No. 3 team in America in the first set, but it certainly did by the end. The Nittany Lions got better with each set until they manhandled the Terrapins in set four.
• Despite registering six errors, Starck was strong on defense. Her 33 assists and 11 digs were some of the most on the floor.
• The first set showed what Penn State couldn’t do, and the fourth set showed what it could do. The better test of the Nittany Lions will come on Friday against Oregon, the Nittany Lions first ranked opponent since they swept by No. 10 Purdue.

What’s Next?

Penn State will host No. 11 Oregon for its annual “Wear White” match at Rec Hall. The march is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, October 4, and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.