Morgan Pandolfi

The Daily Collegian •

Penn State men's volleyball knocks off George Mason in nail-biter

Welcoming No. 16 George Mason to Rec Hall, Penn State looked to clinch the EIVA regular season title in a pair of weekend matches.

However, the Patriots’ 11-match winning streak presented a daunting task for the Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions sneaked away with a win 3-2 (22-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13) in an intense five-set battle.

Opening with an ace by John Kerr on the first point, the blue and white took command of the crowd and the floor.

After the early-set mistakes wore off, it b
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State men's volleyball makes quick work of Harvard to win 3rd straight match

After a matchless rest week, Penn State welcomed Harvard to Rec Hall Friday evening for a high-energy production.

The blue and white powered past its opponent, sweeping the Crimson (25-20, 25-15, 25-18) for its third-straight victory.

The Nittany Lions came out of the gate swinging in Set 1, with Michael Valenzi scoring the first couple of points off of high-IQ plays.

Many Penn Staters were getting into the action to get ahead of the Crimson, mixing in aces and kills at 6-3.

Harvard took adv
The Daily Collegian •

In 1st match of road trip, Penn State men's volleyball falls to Long Beach State

Like many students, Penn State started its spring break with a road trip on Friday.

The Nittany Lions made their way to California, taking on No. 2 Long Beach State at the Walter Pyramid in a late-night, weekend matchup.

The Beach excelled against Penn State, winning 3-1 (25-17, 25-14, 24-26, 25-14) to finish the match on top and hand the blue and white its fourth loss of the season.

As anticipated, the match started as a back-and-forth battle in the first set, with the Beach utilizing back-r
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State men's volleyball completes sweep of No. 15 Princeton

In the second straight matchup between the two teams, Penn State came back ready for more against No. 15 Princeton after a 3-1 win Friday night.

Even though the Tigers succeeded with the long volley, the Nittany Lions’ aggressive play style was once again too powerful for the opposition.

The blue and white hit its 30th consecutive EIVA regular season win with its 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-21) sweep of Princeton at Dillon Gymnasium.

The Nittany Lions seemed to start the first set off with momentum
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State men's volleyball extends hot streak with sweep over No. 15 Ball State

Riding a wave of momentum from its undefeated weekend — taking down then-No. 1 Ohio State in consecutive matches — Penn State was ready for another challenge.

The Nittany Lions came prepared, sweeping Ball State (26-24, 25-22, 25-19) on Friday night after a back-and-forth match became dominated by the blue and white’s powerful hitters.

After an energetic start by the Cardinals, Penn State kept things even by capitalizing on errors and getting kills in tough opportunities.

John Kerr and Michal
NewsBreak •

Men's volleyball gets back on track with upset victory over No. 1 Ohio State

After a loss last week to the previous No. 1 spot holder in the weekly AVCA rankings, UCLA, Penn State remained on the road to take on rankings’ new No. 1 team, Ohio State, in its first Big Ten matchup of the season.

The Nittany Lions upset the Buckeyes 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 29-27), pulling it together after a rough second set to claim their fifth victory of the season.

In this battle of physicality, both sides were trading strong swings and powerful serves back-and-forth, creating a grudge-match.
NewsBreak •

Men's volleyball drops 2nd straight in loss to No. 1 UCLA

After giving up its first loss of the season to No. 8 Stanford on Friday, Penn State had to keep rolling in the First Point Collegiate Challenge to take on No. 1 UCLA on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions fell to 0-2 in the challenge, getting swept in three sets by UCLA (25-20, 25-19, 25-15) and losing its second straight match.

The first set started as a back and forth battle, with both teams looking prepared and showing incredible power. The Nittany Lions were facing relentless pressure from the Bruins’ offense, making it hard to keep the score close.
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State men's volleyball sweeps Lees-McRae, improves to 3-0

Lees-McRae entered Happy Valley hoping to open its season upsetting a ranked opponent.

With their first match of the year against the No. 7 Nittany Lions, the Bobcats had a challenge on their hands.

However, the Nittany Lions dominated the entirety of the match, sweeping Lees-McRae 3-0.

Penn State’s Owen Rose started the first set launching serves over the net, too strong for Lees-McRae to return. At 5-1, Rose secured an ace, showing just how powerful his swing can be.

The blue and white showcased its size and strength, highlighting a mismatch between the two teams.

“We don’t
The Daily Collegian •

Women's volleyball opposite hitter Zoe Weatherington drafted to San Diego Mojo

Penn State opposite hitter Zoe Weatherington was selected by the San Diego Mojo in the fifth round of the 2023 Pro Volleyball Federation Draft on Monday.

Weatherington will have the opportunity to participate in the league's inaugural season, which is set to begin in January 2024.

Weatherington had an impressive 2023 season, garnering 152 kills over 23 matches.

Transferring to the Nittany Lions in 2022 after three years at Utah, Weatherington provided the offense with unmatched power and stre
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women’s volleyball falls to No. 3 Wisconsin, drops out of NCAA tournament

No. 3 Wisconsin welcomed Penn State to the UW Field House for a Sweet Sixteen matchup, looking to continue its tournament sweep.

The Nittany Lions were eager to meet with the Badgers again, reminiscing about their upset in the prior regular season match.

The blue and white lost 3-1, being overpowered by Wisconsin for most of the match.

Both teams traded blocks to start the first set, showcasing how much of a physical battle this match was going to be.

After an early tie, Wisconsin went on a
The Daily Collegian •

Women’s volleyball proceeds to Regional Semifinals, defeats Kansas in five-set battle

After its win against Yale in the NCAA Volleyball Championship first round, Penn State advanced to take on fourth-seeded Kansas on the team's home court in Lawrence, Kansas.

The Nittany Lions ended Yale’s 17-game win streak with a mixture of pinpoint accuracy and high-IQ plays, carrying momentum into this match.

The blue and white defeated Kansas 3-2, fighting in a five-set thriller to the very end.

Allie Holland made a statement at the beginning of the first set, opening with back-to-back bl
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women’s volleyball defeats Yale, advances to 2nd of NCAA Tournament

Ending the regular season on a six-game winning streak, Penn State traveled to Kansas to battle Yale in its first game of the NCAA tournament.

With playoff hopes high, Penn State showed out in the win against Yale 3-1.

The Nittany Lions started the first set with what they do best — blocking the Bulldogs twice in a row to gain a quick lead.

As Yale tried to claw its way back from the early deficit, junior Gigi Barr kept the team from falling too far behind at 13-9.

Penn State was playing wit
NewsBreak •

Penn State women's volleyball brings the heat in victory over Northwestern

Following a win against Michigan State, the Nittany Lions welcomed Northwestern to their last home match of the season.

In the senior night showdown, Penn State defeated Northwestern 3-0.

Opening the first set on a 4-0 run, the blue and white was off to a quick start that the Wildcats weren’t ready for.

In an attempt to match Penn State, Northwestern was attempting powerful swings and tricks they couldn’t capitalize on.
NewsBreak •

Penn State women’s volleyball defeats Michigan State in ‘Silent Set’ match

Penn State welcomed Michigan State to Rec Hall for the ‘Silent Set’ match, an event in honor and support of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Coming off of its win against Wisconsin, the blue and white was ready for the Big Ten challenge.

Penn State overcame early errors to win the match 3-1, finding its power later on.

Both teams started the first set with powerful swings which overwhelmed defensive attempts at recovery.

After an ace by Gillian Grimes at 10-7, the Nittany Lions gained
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women’s volleyball proves it's worth in win against No. 2 Wisconsin

Following a Big Ten sweep in their last match, the Nittany Lions conquered a greater feat: taking down the No. 2 team in the nation.

Penn State looked like a new team in its match against Wisconsin, making adjustments and communication additions that fans have been waiting to see all season.

“They were all focused and ready to help each other, and it's a great win,” coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said.

After catching fire in the second set, the blue and white was playing at a level unmatched b
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women's volleyball sweeps Michigan, ends losing skid

To start the double-header, the No. 19 Nittany Lions took on Michigan at Rec Hall following a tough weekend with back-to-back losses.

The Wolverines started the first set with expert execution, finding the weak spots on the court.

Once the score reached 4-1, offensive power-hitter Jess Mruzik had seen enough, launching a dagger of a kill straight into the defense.

The maize and blue defense couldn't find an answer for the strength of Zoe Weatherington, bringing Penn State ahead.

Playing her
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women’s volleyball falls to Purdue despite close comeback effort

Penn State went on the road to battle No. 19 Purdue following a devastating loss at home to No. 1 Nebraska.

In another five-set match, the blue and white fell to the Boilermakers 3-2.

After a small run by Purdue to start the set, the Nittany Lions brought the heat to comeback and keep it close to tied as it went on.

In this ranked matchup, the blue and white were making some costly errors that it couldn’t afford to have.

The Boilermakers were able to stay above the Nittany Lions by beating t
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women’s volleyball aims to bounce back against Nebraska, Purdue

Penn State is splitting the weekend with a match at home against Nebraska at 8:30 p.m. on Friday and an away match versus Purdue at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The Nittany Lions are coming off of a devastating 3-2 loss against Michigan State where the Spartans capitalized on every mistake. The team’s ranking fell to No. 16 after the upset, but it was able to maintain its No. 3 spot in the Big Ten.

Being the No. 1 team in the nation, Nebraska is coming to Rec Hall after sweeping Maryland and Rutgers last
The Daily Collegian •

Penn State women’s volleyball falls to Michigan State after struggling in fifth set

The Nittany Lions stayed in Michigan to take on Michigan State after battling against the Wolverines Friday night.

Taking a win against University of Michigan last match, impressive performances by Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik needed to continue into Saturday.

Penn State fell to Michigan State 3-2, failing to comeback from a poor first set.

In a very competitive start, the Spartans always seemed to keep an edge while Hannah kept the blue and white’s energy from faltering.

Michigan State was
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