The Nittany Lions moved up four spots and received a first-place vote in the poll for the first time since October 29, 2018.
Penn State landed at No. 8 in College Soccer's RPI rankings after defeating Northwestern Saturday.
Much like Saturday's football game between the two schools, Sunday saw its fair share of defense and grit.
Jonni Parker's team-high 12 kills carried the Nittany Lions in the 25-12, 25-20, 25-19 sweep over the Buckeyes.
Penn State avoided disaster against 10-men Northwestern in a golden goal finish.
Guy Gadowsky picked up his 300th win as an NCAA head coach in Penn State's 5-4 victory on Saturday afternoon.