No. 24 Penn State women’s volleyball sweep MSU 3-0, aim for NCAA DI tournament spot
The No. 24 Penn State Nittany Lions (16-11) competed against the unranked Michigan State Spartans (18-9) Friday night, as Penn State celebrated its 50th anniversary of volleyball.
The Big Ten matchup was a first for the two teams this season. Penn State are 10-7 in conference and Michigan State are 8-9. Historically, the Lions have won roughly 88 percent of the contests between the two programs.
Penn State continued their dominance in Rec Hall, sweeping the Spartans 3-0 and giving an ever-needed pop of momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular volleyball season.
As other women’s volleyball conference championships tournaments are underway, last year’s reigning champions are starting to coalesce late the season with the hope of earning one of the 33 at-large spots remaining for the 2025 NCAA Division I tournament.
Thirty-one are decided via conference championships. The at-large are subject to a DI women’s volleyball committee that looks at strength of schedule, rating percentage index (RPI), head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, key performance indicator (KPI), and significant wins and losses, including the location of the contests.
The Lions started the first set off against Michigan State with more confidence, keeping a multiple-point lead against the Spartans. Addie Lyon, the Lion’s setter, scored two quick points in the first set, firing up her teammates.
Although Michigan State continued to fight back, the Nittany Lions dug deeper, keeping their multiple-point lead and winning the first set 25-15.
Spartan junior outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska tried to match the Lions’ momentum. She brought a new type of fire to the second set keeping Penn State on their toes.
Any chance she got, Staniszewska went for the kill, trying to spark a run.
Even though Michigan State’s organization had improved, Penn State still claimed the second set with a final score of 25-19.
With one set left in the game, the intensity began to rise. Both teams worked tirelessly to communicate and bump the ball over the net.
At one point, it was a seesaw battle to see who was going to break the tie and take the lead, as both teams continued to inch upward in points, a tie, and then even.
The electricity in Rec Hall was palpable, with every fan sitting on the edge of their seats.
After multiple rounds going back and forth, Penn State senior middle blocker Maggie Mendelson attacked the ball, bringing it down onto Michigan State’s side with an echoing smack, leaving the Penn State Nittany Lions victorious with a score of 25-23.
As the crowd jumped in the stands with excitement, so did the team, celebrating not only their win but also head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s 100th win.
“I think they understand that this is the last weekend at home,” Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said. “Embrace it and kind of be in the moment and enjoy it. There’s not a lot of places like Rec Hall.”
The Penn State Nittany Lions will play again on November 23 against Maryland. The Michigan State Spartans will also play on November 23 against Ohio State.
Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Lily Dorf is a student intern at Penn State University.