No. 10 Penn State volleyball defeated High Point 3-2 in its second game of the Penn State Invitational from Rec Hall on Sunday morning.

The Nittany Lions fell behind 1-0 in sets, but dominated the heart of the match. A late rally from High Point forced set five, which Penn State captured despite another Wildcat comeback.

How It Happened

Alexis Stucky was awarded serve to start the match for Penn State, and the first two points belonged to them following a long rally that fell in High Point territory and an ace from Stucky.

The heavy hitters’ presence was felt early by the Nittany Lions. Kennedy Martin, Kendall Northern, and Gabrielle Nichols all collected a kill before High Point’s first timeout, as they trailed 5-2.

Coming out of timeout, Nichols recorded a service ace, splitting the Wildcats’ defense. But High Point adjusted and went on a 4-2 run, bringing the score to 7-6 in the Nittany Lions’ favor.

A few attack errors by the Nittany Lions and great play from the net by the Wildcats put High Point on top 13-10 halfway through the first set. But the Nittany Lions weren’t having it. They scored four straight points with Stucky serving to retake the lead, then tallied a few more after the media timeout to take the score to 17-16.

The teams exchanged blows in the third act of the set until High Point broke the trend, winning four of five and leading 23-20 before Katie Schumacher-Cawley used her team’s first timeout.

The Wildcats scored two straight and won the first set 25-20.

Penn State jumped out to an early lead in the second set, just as they had in the first, and Ryan Meek called a timeout down 4-1.

Another scoring run from the Nittany Lions, while suppressing High Point’s attack, put Penn State ahead 9-4 with Martin serving. The right-side hitter won four consecutive points at the service line, and shortly after, her front-net counterpart, Stucky, brought the serve back to Penn State with two excellent blocks at the net.

Make that 2⃣ aces for Martin! #WeAre pic.twitter.com/IZaViOgSgt

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) August 30, 2026

A media timeout was called as Penn State led 15-7.

Out of break, Penn State’s libero Ava Falduto was given service duties, and the Nittany Lions won six straight with her behind the line, including two aces and a kill from Whitney Lauenstein.

Penn State needed just five more to secure the set, but Lauenstein sailed two hits, and the Wildcats went on a run of their own, though the score was far from tied.

The second set concluded quickly, as Lauenstein recorded a service ace to win it for Penn State 25-13.

Service ace by Whit for the SET POINT#WeAre pic.twitter.com/bf77aAdRbD

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) August 30, 2026

The third set began with another Penn State lead, and Ryla Jones’ service ace forced High Point to take a timeout down 4-1. Just two points later, the Wildcats used their second and final timeout as Jones continued to serve.

The middle blocker aced the Wildcats, and it felt as though Penn State was running away with the set, leading 7-1.

Solo block from Nichols!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/i6K9UqVHwV

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) August 30, 2026

But High Point’s Sydney McKay took the set into her own hands. She delivered a service ace, and her teammates recorded a couple of kills, contributing to a 5-0 scoring run.

The Nittany Lions’ lead dwindled to 12-11.

The middle points favored Penn State as they expanded their lead to 20-15 behind a pair of service runs from Jones and Lexi Gin. The teams went point-for-point until Haley Burgdorf’s hit deflected off a Wildcat into the stands, and Penn State took down set three, 25-19.

Set four opened with a tight race, though the Nittany Lions took three in a row behind Falduto’s service. Jones came away with a block, and Burgdorf a kill, forcing a High Point timeout down 8-3.

A quarter of service errors — two by each squad — brought the match to 14-8, and the sizable gap Penn State had accrued was maintained throughout the heart of the set, with a score of 19-14.

A long rally that included four attempted kills by Emmi Sellman was finally settled by Burgdorf, who came from the back row for a kill that deflected into the stands. However, High Point challenged and won it because Burgdorf hit the net.

The Wildcats had closed the gap, bringing the score to 20-19, with service in their favor. Penn State finally collected its bearings as Sellman delivered a kill and earned herself service.

It didn’t last for long, though, as High Point scored two straight, tying the set and making Penn State call a timeout at 21-21. The Wildcats earned their first lead since the first set on a Jones service error, but the Nittany Lions kept themselves afloat and tied it 24-24.

Penn State’s third straight service error gave High Point a 25-24 lead, and the Wildcats came away with set four.

To open set five, the Nittany Lions jumped out to a 4-1 lead. They continued scoring after High Point utilized a timeout and led 7-2 with Jones — who had four aces — behind the line.

Ace No. for Ryla!#WeAre pic.twitter.com/9mwBZN1fi8

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) August 30, 2026

Following High Point’s final timeout of the match, the teams exchanged service errors, and Penn State led 10-5. However, High Point showcased its comeback capability with a pair of aces from McKay that cut the deficit to 12-10.

The Nittany Lions closed out the match with three straight points.

Takeaways

• The middle of the match was all Penn State following their first set loss. The Nittany Lions kept High Point at bay in sets three and four and seemed to run away with the match with an early set four lead. However, three straight service errors late in the set allowed the Wildcats to rally back and send the match to set five.
• The Pitt transfer Ryla Jones recorded five service aces, two in set three and another one late in set five.
• The Nittany Lions committed 13 service errors to High Point’s nine. Three of Penn State’s came consecutively and fueled a Wildcat comeback in set four.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will continue the season in the Penn State Invitational against Hofstra on Sunday, August 30, at 6 p.m. The game will be available to stream on BTN+.