No. 3 Penn State women’s volleyball (21-1, 11-0 Big Ten) took care of Michigan (16-6, 6-5 Big Ten) in a 3-0 sweep in Rec Hall on Wednesday night.

It was the Jess Mruzik and Camryn Hannah show again. Mruzik finished the night with 11 kills, two aces, and hit .269. Hannah finished with 10 kills, one ace, and hit .350.

How It Happened

The night started with a Mruzik kill, and then Michigan got one of its own. The Wolverines notched another kill, and then Caroline Jurevivius and Mruzik each got one for Penn State. Michigan recorded two attack errors, but the second was challenged and overturned to a Penn State touch to make it 5-4 Nittany Lions.

Penn State then went on a 4-1 run with two Michigan attack errors, a Taylor Trammell kill, and a Hannah ace. Both teams exchanged the next couple of scores as the Nittany Lions maintained their three-score lead. At 12-9 Penn State, a Wolverine attack error, a block by Trammell and Izzy Starck, and a kill by Trammell made it 15-9 at the first media timeout.

That's a @CamrynHannah ACE! #WeAre pic.twitter.com/1SGYeHjoQf

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) October 30, 2024

After the break, Izzy Starck committed an attack error trying to catch the Wolverines by surprise, but Penn State got the score back with a Hannah kill and an Izzy Strack ace. From there, Michigan never regained control of the set.

Several more errors made it 20-14 Penn State, and then the Nittany Lions capped off the 25-16 set victory with three straight Hannah kills.

. @CamrynHannah ends set one with her fourth kill!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/hFvUggfLhF

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) October 31, 2024

The second set started with a Trammell kill, followed by an incredible driving dig from Mruzik who got up and got the kill to make it 2-0. Michigan’s outsider hitter Allison Jacobs appeared to have suffered a leg injury on the play and was helped off the court.

After the pause, the Wolverines went on a 3-1 run to tie the set at 3-3. Maggie Mendelson got on the board with a kill, but Michigan responded with a 3-0 run to make it 6-4. Hannah and a Wolverine error then tied the set at 6-6.

Another Michigan 3-0 run restored the lead for the Wolverines, and Penn State cut the lead off with two Wolverines errors. After a Michigan kill, Jurevicius’s kill and a bad set tied the set at 10-10. The two Penn State scores were followed by a kill and solo block by Jurevicius and a kill by Mruzik.

Michigan called a timeout, but Penn State stayed hot with back-to-back Mruzik kills to make it 15-10. The Wolverines got back in the scoring column, but Mruzik and Jurevicius struck back with kills to force Michigan to use its final timeout of the set.

Gillian Grimes recorded an ace after the break and just like in set one, Michigan had no answers. Mendelson’s two kills, Mruzik’s ace, and a Wolverine error made it 23-13. From there, Hannah’s kill and another Michigan error ended the second set 25-15.

Michigan started the third set with a 4-1 lead. Mruzik stopped the run with a kill and Hannah followed with one of her own. Mruzik then tallied an ace and Hannah got a kill to tie the set at 5-5. Both teams traded the next couple of scores until an error, a Grimes ace, kills by Mruzik and Anjelina Strack, and a block by Jureivicus and Mendelson made it 12-8 Penn State.

Block by @CJurevicius and MaggieM_Sports forces a Michigan timeout!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/4k0wlE8aul

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) October 31, 2024

The Wolverines used a timeout, came out of the break, and scored twice. But Mendelson recorded two kills, and Michigan committed an attack error to make it 15-11. The Wolverines tightened the lead, but Penn State answered again. Kills from Mruzik and Hannah made it 17-13.

Michigan scored three straight to cut the lead just one, but the Nittany Lions again fought off the comeback. Three Trammell kills and a Mruzik kill made it 22-17. Penn State completed the sweep off an attack error, a Trammell and Mruzik, and a Jocelyn Nathan ace.

Takeaways

• The Big Ten dominance continues. Penn State is 11-0 in conference play this season and hasn’t lost a Big Ten regular season game since November 5, 2023.
• Trammell has one of the best hitting percentages in the nation and she added to it tonight. The senior had seven kills on 10 attacks and hit .600.
• Penn State dominated from the service line. It had seven aces to Michigan’s zero and the Wolverines had 13 service errors to the Nittany Lions’ six.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions face Iowa at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 1, in Rec Hall. The game will also air on BTN+.