No. 15 Penn State women’s volleyball (7-4, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 17 USC (9-2, 0-1 Big Ten) in five sets at Rec Hall on Friday night. This was the first match of conference play for both teams.

In front of a packed Rec Hall, the Nittany Lions dominated the first set as they won it by more than 10 points before winning the second set to take a two-set lead. However, after being very effective in the third set, Penn State got sloppy and recorded a hitting percentage of .031, which allowed USC to win the third set and get back into the match. This gave it momentum as it went on to win the fourth set, sending the match to a deciding set.

However, Penn State refused to let this collapse and won the fifth set thanks to the efforts of Kennedy Martin. With this win, it ended its four-match losing streak against ranked opponents.

How It Happened

USC got on the board first before a kill by Maggie Mendelson tied the first set at one. After Ava Falduto committed a service error on the next point, Penn State went on a 3-0 run to take a two-point lead. Both teams went back-and-forth for the next eight points before a service error by Jordan Hopp got the Trojans within one point of tying the first set at eight.

However, the Nittany Lions refused to relinquish their lead and recorded four consecutive kills to extend their lead to five. This run was highlighted with a kill by Caroline Jurevicius and Maggie Mendelson, along with two kills by Kennedy Martin. This led USC to use its first timeout of the match. Out of the timeout, Jurevicius extended Penn State’s run of kills to five with a kill of her own before a bad set by Martin on the next point ended it.

Penn State continued to seize the momentum from its Rec Hall environment as it went on a 3-0 run to take a 16-8 lead. Despite the Trojans ending this run on the next point, the Nittany Lions continued to be aggressive on the attack, as they went on another 3-0 run to increase their lead to double-digits. This forced USC to take another timeout as the first set started to get out of hand for it.

B1G Block!

Sellman x Hopp#WeAre pic.twitter.com/8Yu0wLzEd6

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) September 27, 2025

The Nittany Lions extended their run to five after the timeout as they took advantage of an attack error by London Wijay and a solo block by Martin. The Trojans tried to claw their way back into the set, winning three of the next four points to decrease their deficit to 10. Both teams exchanged kills before Jurevicius’ kill gave Penn State 11 set-point opportunities. It capitalized on its first opportunity due to an ace by Hopp as Penn State dominated the first set 25-13.

USC won the first two points of the second set before Penn State went on a 3-0 run to take the lead. On the next point, Rylie McGinest recorded a kill for the Trojans to tie the set at three. The deadlock was short-lived as Mendelson’s kill and Gillian Grimes’ service ace gave the Nittany Lions a two-point lead. Both teams traded kills before a service ace by Martin and an attack error by Adonia Faumuina allowed the Nittany Lions to extend their lead to four.

However, the Trojans started to show their perseverance and responded by winning five of the next six points to tie the set at nine. Both teams exchanged service errors before the Nittany Lions won back-to-back points to restore their lead. After Addie Lyon’s service error on the next point, Martin showed her aggressiveness on the attack and recorded three consecutive kills that allowed Penn State to take a 15-11 lead, heading into the media timeout.

Out of the media timeout, Martin extended her run of kills to four before a kill by Abigail Mullen ended it. Both teams exchanged errors before back-to-back kills got USC within two of tying the set at 17. This forced Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley to use her first timeout of the match. This timeout did not pay off for the Nittany Lions as the Trojans extended their run to five to tie the set up at 17.

Both teams went back and forth for the next six points before a kill by Martin gave Penn State a one-point lead. On the next point, Grimes recorded a huge kill that allowed it to increase its lead to two, which forced USC to take a timeout. After the timeout, Jurevicius recorded a kill to get the Nittany Lions within two points of winning the second set, leading the Trojans to use another timeout.

GILL KILL!!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/7v9f0iYKAi

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) September 27, 2025

Out of the timeout, Wijay recorded a kill to end Penn State’s 3-0 run before a service error by Leah Ford gave it three set points. USC saved the first set point on a kill by Mullen, but Penn State refused to squander this opportunity, and Sellman recorded a kill that allowed it to close out the second set 25-22.

Both teams exchanged the first four points of the third set before back-to-back points by the Trojans gave them a 4-2 lead. The back-and-forth exchange was wagered on for the next four points, but USC started to seize its momentum as it won four of the next five points to increase its lead to five. This led the Nittany Lions to use a timeout.

Out of the timeout, Martin recorded a kill to trim Penn State’s deficit to four. However, the Trojans refused to give it any sort of momentum and went on a 6-0 run to increase their lead to double-digits. Schumacher-Cawley decided to use another timeout in hopes of her team regaining its focus.

This timeout paid huge dividends for the Nittany Lions as they went on a 4-0 run to trim their deficit to six, leading to a timeout by USC. Penn State, with the help of Rec Hall, continued to seize its momentum after the timeout as it extended its run to seven to get within three of USC’s lead. On the next point, Tealer recorded a huge kill for the Trojans to end the Nittany Lions’ run and give them a 17-13 lead.

Both teams traded blows for the next 10 points as USC’s four-point lead stayed intact. On the next point, Addie Lyon and Mendelson recorded a block assist to decrease the Nittany Lions’ deficit to three. However, the Trojans responded with back-to-back points to give themselves five set points. They converted on their first set point with a service ace by Mullen that allowed them to win the third set 25-19 and send this match to a fourth set.

In the fourth set, both teams exchanged blows for the first eight points as neither team managed to build a lead larger than one point. On the next point, Hopp and Alexis Ewing recorded a block assist to give the Nittany Lions the lead. However, the Trojans started to pull away as they went on a 6-0 run to take a 10-5 lead, leading to a Penn State timeout.

After the timeout, USC extended its run to seven on a kill by Wijay before a service error by Reese Messer ended it. Both teams went back and forth for the next four points before a kill and service ace by Mullen increased the Trojans’ lead to seven, leading to another timeout by the Nittany Lions. Wijay’s kill after the timeout extended USC’s run to three before a kill by Martin ended it.

Both teams exchanged the next eight points as USC’s seven-point lead stayed intact. The Nittany Lions started to show signs of life as they won three of the next four points to trim their deficit to five. After Mullen recorded a kill on the next point, Martin and Sellman recorded kills to get Penn State within four. Both teams exchanged kills before an attack error by Sellman gave the Trojans a set point. They converted on it with a kill by Messer to win the fourth set 25-19 and send this match into a deciding set.

The Nittany Lions got on the board first before back-to-back points gave the Trojans an early lead. Martin started to show her aggressiveness as she recorded a service ace and a kill to give Penn State the lead. On the next point, Mia Tvrdy recorded a kill to tie the set at three, but the Nittany Lions responded with a 3-0 run to give themselves a 6-3 lead.

However, USC refused to be deterred and responded with a 4-0 run to restore its lead. This forced Penn State to take a timeout. This timeout paid off for it as it won consecutive points to take an 8-7 lead. Both teams exchanged kills before a block assist by Martin and Mendelson increased the Nittany Lions’ lead to two, leading to a Trojan’ timeout.

After the timeout, the back-and-forth affair was wagered on for the next four points, but the Trojans won consecutive points to tie the set at 12, forcing a Penn State timeout. Out of the timeout, Martin and Hopp recorded a block assist along with a Martin kill to give the Nittany Lions a 14-12 lead and two match points. This forced USC to take another timeout.

Penn State could not convert on its first match point as Martin recorded a service error. However, Martin redeemed herself right after as she recorded a kill that allowed it to win the fifth set 15-13.

K-Mart ends it with her 29th kill!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/NIHPAF8FxR

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) September 27, 2025

Takeaways

• Despite blowing a two-set lead, this was a huge win for the Nittany Lions. Heading into this match, they had lost four consecutive matches against ranked opponents, with their last win being against Kansas in late August. Now they will have more confidence against future ranked opponents in the Big Ten.
• Penn State’s attack was all over the place in the first two sets. It was very effective as it combined a hitting percentage of .421 and recorded 30 kills. It took its foot off the gas in the third set as it recorded a hitting percentage of .031, which gave USC momentum by winning the third and fourth sets before Penn State pulled out the win in the fifth set.
• Kennedy Martin and Emmi Sellman were the catalysts in Penn State’s win. The duo combined for 43 of the team’s 62 kills, and both had a double-double. Martin had 13 digs along with her 29 kills, while Sellman had 15 digs to go along with her 14 kills.

What’s Next?

Penn State will play its second match of Big Ten play when it takes on UCLA on Sunday, September 28, at noon at Rec Hall. The match will be televised on BTN.