Penn State women’s volleyball dropped to No. 12 in the latest AVCA Poll released Monday afternoon. The Nittany Lions dropped from their No. 5 spot in the rankings once again after falling three spots in last week’s poll.

The Nittany Lions’ struggles continued this week as they were upset in five sets by TCU on Labor Day and got swept by Kentucky in their home opener last Friday. This was Penn State’s first three-game losing streak and loss at Rec Hall since 2023. However, it ended its losing streak on Sunday with a sweep over New Hampshire.

After starting No. 2 in the AVCA Preseason Poll, Penn State has fallen 10 spots since then and is no longer the second-highest-ranked team in the Big Ten. It also suffered the loss of its star setter, Izzy Starck, on Friday, who led the NCAA with 1,483 assists last season.

Outside of Penn State and No. 1 Nebraska, the Big Ten was also represented by No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 14 Purdue, No. 16 USC, and No. 24 UCLA.

The Nittany Lions will look to head into their one-week break with momentum as they will take on Bucknell at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, at Rec Hall. After their date with the Bison, they won’t play again until 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, when they will take on No. 7 Pitt at Rec Hall.