No. 13 Penn State women’s volleyball (3-1) fell to No. 3 Kentucky (5-1) 3-1 in the inaugural Big Ten-SEC Volleyball Challenge at Wrigley Field on Sunday night.

Despite the loss, Kennedy Martin and Whitney Lauenstein had 16 and 13 kills each, respectively. Freshman Finley Krystkowiak added 10, and Alexis Stucky had 34 assists.

How It Happened

Kentucky junior Morgan Gaerte opened the match with a kill, but Gabrielle Nichols answered by executing a slide with Alexis Stucky to knot the score at 1-1.

Lizzie Carr delivered a crosscourt shot, but Whitney Lauenstein rose for the solo stuff. Molly Tuozzo followed with a service ace for the Wildcats, and Kennedy Martin added a kill for the Nittany Lions. 

Asia Thigpen then dropped in two crafty tips before delivering an ace that forced a Penn State timeout with Kentucky ahead 8-5.

Out of the break, Finley Krystkowiak and Brooklyn DeLeye exchanged kills. A Kentucky attack error and a Ryla Jones ace pulled the Nittany Lions within one at 9-8.

A Penn State challenge overturned a block-touch call, awarding Martin a kill. Lauenstein knotted the set at 10-10 with a tip, and Nichols followed with one of her own to give Penn State its first lead.

Lauenstein found the floor, and Krystkowiak ripped a sharp-angle attack as the Nittany Lions went on a 5-1 run. The rally ended with a service error, but Nichols kept Penn State in front with a kill out of the middle. 

Gaerte notched her second kill of the set, and Krystkowiak countered with her third to send Penn State into the media timeout ahead 15-13.

Martin recorded an ace out of the break, and Krystkowiak delivered once again for the 17-14 lead. 

The teams traded service errors until Lauenstein swung down the line. DeLeye and Martin then traded swings with Penn State leading 20-18.

Gaerte ripped a kill over the Nittany Lion block, but Martin responded with a roll shot set up by Ava Falduto. 

Thigpen tooled the block, and Kassie O’Brien rose for a block to even the set at 21-21.

A Kentucky attack error led to a timeout, and the Wildcats regrouped behind a Thigpen kill and a solo block from Kennedy Washington to take a 23-22 lead and force a Penn State timeout.

Krystkowiak answered with a kill, making it 23-23, before DeLeye dropped in a tip, followed by a massive kill to give Kentucky the 25-23 set win. 

Gaerte, Thigpen, and Washington opened set two with kills for a quick 3-1 Wildcat lead. Martin answered with a shot to the ten-foot line.

Washington continued to produce for Kentucky, but so did Martin, leading all players with six kills.

Jones sparked a block party for the Nittany Lions, earning three straight points alongside Krystkowiak and Stucky to push Penn State ahead 7-4.

DeLeye ended the defensive surge with back-to-back kills, but freshman Krystkowiak answered with a veteran-like swing. 

Back-to-back Penn State attack errors knotted the set at 8-8, and the top-15 teams battled through the middle stretch of the set.

Jones found open court with a soft touch, while DeLeye split the defense on the next play. DeLeye then tooled the block, and another Penn State error put Kentucky ahead 11-9.

Stucky snapped Kentucky’s 6-1 run with a dump, and service errors on both sides kept the Wildcats ahead by two.

Carr hit off the block while Martin responded by hammering a ball to the back corner. Gaerte found hands, but Jones followed with a shot down the line. 

Thigpen powered through the block to send Kentucky into the media timeout ahead 15-13.

DeLeye recorded her ninth kill of the match, then teamed with Washington for a block to stretch Kentucky’s lead to 17-13.

DeLeye was the first player to reach double-digit kills, but the Nittany Lions answered when Lauenstein split the back row. Jones continued her success from the service line with an ace to cut Kentucky’s lead to 18-16.

The teams exchanged attack errors before DeLeye dropped a kill in front of the ten-foot line. Lauenstein answered by tooling Wildcat hands, making it 20-18.

Kentucky began to close out the set with back-to-back points from Gaerte and DeLeye, forcing a Penn State timeout.

Carr delivered a kill and teamed with Gaerte for a block. Martin earned a point, and Lauenstein followed with an ace, but Gaerte delivered the final blow, giving Kentucky the 25-21 set victory.

Penn State started set three with a fiery energy led by Lauenstein, who swung hard off the block for the opening point. She then tag-teamed with Nichols for a block.

Stucky sent over the second ball for a 3-0 Nittany Lion run, but Gaerte and Thigpen delivered shots for Kentucky, and a Washington-Gaerte block tied the set at 4-4. 

Martin terminated a Stucky set, and Krystkowiak delivered from the outside. The Wildcats kept the score knotted with a kill from Gaerte and an O’Brien-Washington block.

Kentucky crept ahead after DeLeye hit off fingertips, but Lauenstein tied up the set for the fourth time with a deep shot to the corner. 

Carr and Gaerte teamed up for the block before Lauenstein closed out a scrappy rally. Penn State trailed 10-9. 

DeLeye and Gaerte added points for the Wildcats before Martin went on a tear. She buried an overpass, rolled a shot to midcourt, powered through the block, and floated an ace for an even 13-13.

Thigpen cut the ball sharply, and a Penn State attack error sent Kentucky into the media timeout ahead 15-13.

Martin hammered to the back line, but DeLeye answered with back-to-back kills, stretching Kentucky’s lead to 17-14.

Stucky took a swing, and Gaerte countered with a kill as Kentucky pushed ahead 19-15, forcing a Penn State timeout.

The Nittany Lions surged back behind two powerful swings from Lauenstein on the outside and a Martin-Nichols block, prompting a Kentucky timeout with the Wildcats clinging to a 19-18 lead.

Lauenstein stayed red hot, hammering a ball in front of the block to knot the set at 19-19. DeLeye notched a kill while Lauenstein responded with another rip. A Nichols-Krystkowiak block and a Krystkowiak kill followed, forcing another Kentucky timeout with Penn State ahead 23-20.

DeLeye answered with a kill, but Martin gave Penn State set point. The Wildcats fended off two set points behind a Washington block and a Thigpen kill, but Ryla Jones slammed the door with a kill to seal the 25-23 set victory.

Freshman Haley Burgdorf started set four and put the Nittany Lions on the board first.

Kentucky followed with three quick points behind back-to-back shots from Thigpen and a kill from Gaerte for a 3-1 Wildcat lead. 

Martin swung for her fifteenth kill, but attack errors from both sides kept the two-point Kentucky advantage. 

O’Brien and Jones exchanged shots, followed by DeLeye swinging off hands and Krystkowiak finding the floor during an out-of-system play. 

Jones scored off a Stucky setup, DeLeye earned her twentieth kill, Carr and Gaerte rose for a block, and O’Brien served up an ace, forcing a Penn State timeout. 

Gaerte went up and over the block, and a Wildcat challenge reversed a kill call. Kentucky added another four points from Carr and Gaerte, fueling an 8-0 run. 

Lauenstein broke the rally, ripping down the line. Gaerte sent Kentucky into the media timeout leading 15-7. 

Caroline Jurevicius entered the game for Penn State and notched a kill, but all momentum stuck with Kentucky. 

Thigpen and O’Brien capitalized on Nittany Lion errors, and the Wildcats led by ten heading into the final stretch of play. 

Martin teamed up with Nichols for a block and followed with a powerful swing as Penn State trailed by eight.

DeLeye continued her impressive night. Thigpen notched an ace. Jones delivered for the Nittany Lions, but Georgia Watson notched her first kill and a Carr-O’Brien block set up match point. 

Krystkowiak and Lauenstein swung for kills, but Illinois native Watson earned the 25-15 set and match win for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Takeaways

• Whitney Lauenstein and Kennedy Martin continue to be leaders for Penn State. The two attackers combined for 29 kills.
• Penn State had 27 attack errors and seven service errors, which proved problematic down the stretch.
• The team’s overall energy remained high despite the deficit, with the Nittany Lions continuing to swing hard and stay grounded on defense.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions get right back on the floor in Chicago to face DePaul at 4 p.m. on Monday, September 7, from McGrath-Phillips Arena. Folks can follow along on ESPNU.