Penn State women’s volleyball players Kendall Northern and Emmi Sellman described Penn State’s momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season as peaking at the right time.

The Nittany Lions have not dropped a match since October 16, taking down five ranked opponents. Most recently, Penn State took down Wisconsin in a five-set clash in Madison, Wisconsin, powered by the offensive firepower of Kennedy Martin and Whitney Lauenstein.

One reason the Nittany Lions have found such success recently is that freshman middle blocker Northern has emerged as a key contributor and hasn’t shied away from big moments.

Northern earned a spot in the starting lineup after Ryla Jones suffered a knee injury on September 27. Over 12 matches, she has recorded 71 kills and 40 blocks.

Northern attributes her success to shifting her focus to her blocking. 

“When we got here in the spring, I was struggling a lot with my blocking. I was kind of focused more on being an offensive player than a defensive player,” Northern said. “We’ve all been working on blocking a lot recently in practice.”

Northern also credits Jones for her help as she navigates the responsibilities of being a collegiate-level middle. She said despite Jones’ injury, she has given her a ton of advice during games and practices.

As for Jones’ status, head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley offered an encouraging update, anticipating her return by the Big Ten Tournament, if not the week before.

“We’re going to see how she’s feeling, but she will be cleared to go,” Schumacher-Cawley said.

While Northern has stepped into a new role this season, Sellman has also made the most of her opportunities on the court.

Northern praised Sellman’s unwavering competitive and positive mindset throughout the season. 

“She’s very competitive, and I think she shows that through our practice and in the games,” Northern said. “She also just brings a lot of energy to us on and off the court.”

The 6-foot-4 junior has appeared in 17 matches this season and recently recorded a career-high four blocks against Purdue. Sellman has prioritized working with her coaches and liberos, as well as establishing a consistent routine that supports her body and mind. 

Sellman said she’s been working on her eye work and taking time to reflect on what she does well. She’s also emphasized playing with emotion, something assistant coach Megan Hodge-Easy has helped her with.

“One of the biggest factors for me is just not being afraid to show my emotion,” Sellman said. “You’re not showing emotions because you don’t care; you’re showing it because you care that much.”

Sellman intends to keep her intensity high and contribute to what she describes as the team’s “fiery spirit” throughout the Big Ten Tournament. 

“We have no fear in terms of showing how competitive we are,” she said.

Schumacher-Cawley has full confidence in her team as the Nittany Lions wrap up the regular season and prepare for postseason play.

“The team understands the impact of each match. … Everyone is just understanding their role and helping the team,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “I think it’s so competitive, and they’ve really grown to not take any team lightly.”

Schumacher-Cawley also highlighted Martin, who continues to have a monstrous season for the Nittany Lions. The senior right-side player surpassed 2,000 career kills against Minnesota, matching her career high with 34 kills.

“Ken’s been really consistent … really aggressive,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “She takes to heart that she can get better every day, and I know she’ll take as many swings as we need to win.” 

Schumacher-Cawley also praised senior setter Alexis Stucky, who is closing in on 4,000 career assists, for her ability to not only distribute the ball effectively, but take matters into her own hands and send over a second touch for a point. 

“I think Stucky’s doing a great job of moving the ball around and scoring a little bit more, and I like to see that and see her be aggressive,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “As we continue to pass better, she can create more, and more players are finding ways to score.”

As the postseason approaches, Schumacher-Cawley stressed how the team’s success will be backed by aggressive serving, disciplined defense, strong backcourt play and the ability to force opponents into out-of-system situations. 

The Nittany Lions have three regular-season matchups remaining before turning their attention to the Big Ten Tournament.

Penn State will travel to Maryland on Wednesday and Illinois on Saturday before returning to Rec Hall for its final regular-season game against Rutgers on November 17. 

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