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Volleyball plays for Big Ten title tomorrow night
For the second straight year and the fourth time since 2017, the women’s soccer team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Penn State defeated Vanderbilt 3-1 in the Sweet 16 on Sunday afternoon.
The Commodores had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament, sending home No. 1 seed Florida State in a penalty shootout. Vanderbilt continued its momentum by scoring the opening goal of the game in the eighth minute. Shortly before halftime, Natalie Wilson changed the swing of the game with a goal of her own to pull Penn State even at the break.
Despite being outshot 18-7 overall, the Nittany Lions broke through in the second half for two critical goals from Aubrey Kulpa and Rowan Lapi to secure their spot in the Elite Eight.
Penn State will play North Carolina tomorrow at 6pm for a spot in the College Cup. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The No. 4 women’s volleyball team rolled past No. 8 Purdue in a 3-0 sweep last Thursday before winning 3-1 over Washington on Sunday.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley earned her 200th win as an NCAA coach in the win over Purdue. Izzy Starck recorded 38 assists, 10 digs, and 5 blocks in a dominant performance.
Penn State celebrated Senior Night against Washington, and this senior class did not disappoint. Camryn Hannah had 19 kills and an ace, and Jess Mruzik added 12 kills and 2 aces of her own. After dropping the opening set, Penn State controlled the second, third, and fourth sets to stay unbeaten at home this season.
The Lions swept Rutgers on the road last night in the penultimate conference game. Izzy Starck was outstanding, recording 36 assists, 10 digs, 5 kills, and 2 blocks.
Penn State will take on Nebraska tomorrow night at Rec Hall in front of what is expected to be a sellout crowd. If the Lions win, they will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten championship for the first time since 2017.
Unlike most other sports, there is no conference tournament in women’s volleyball. Penn State will find out its draw in the 2024 NCAA Tournament when the selection show airs Sunday at 6pm on ESPN.
The women’s hockey team stayed unbeaten in conference play with a sweep of Robert Morris last weekend. Penn State won Game 1 5-0 and Game 2 4-0. Goalie Katie DeSa was perfect over the weekend, earning her second and third shutouts of the season. Maddy Christian’s two goals led the way for the offense in Game 1. In Game 2, four different goal scorers found the net, and DeSa made 25 saves to secure the second consecutive shutout win.
The Lions, unbeaten in conference play, have a two-game lead in the AHA standings. Penn State will be in Nashville this weekend to play in the Smahshville Women’s Collegiate Hockey Showcase. The Lions will take on Merrimack tomorrow at 4pm and against either St. Thomas or Clarkson on Saturday (either at 1pm or 4pm). Both games will be broadcast on YouTube.
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