Penn State Women’s Volleyball Is Perfect In The Penn State Classic
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - No. 11 Penn State defeats Coastal Carolina 3-0 to wrap up the Penn State Classic.
It was another dominant performance by the Nittany Lions led by setter Seleisa Elisaia. Elisaia finished with 28 assists and hit .750 percent. She closed the first set with a center dump that brought everyone at rec hall on their feet.
Elisaia’s crisp passes allowed the team to hit .413 percent across the three sets. The offense showed no signs of fatigue during its third match of the weekend.
“Penn State volleyball is all about hard work,” said Allie Holland. “No matter what’s on the scoreboard or who our opponent is, we’re foot on the gas at all times.”
Holland was another key factor in the smooth ride for Penn State. She hit a very efficient .800 and collected five blocks.
The Nittany Lions had three players hit triple digits on the season in the first set. Zoe Weatherington, Anjelina Starck and Kashauna Williams surpassed 100 kills on the season before taking the first set 25-17.
Serving was an emphasis for this Nittany Lions team going into the weekend. Penn State was able to go on a few runs from perfectly placed serves by Cassie Kuerschen. Kuerschen finished with two service aces.
Penn State’s offense became too overwhelming for the Chanticleers to handle. The combination of Weatherington and Starck took control early in the second set and allowed Penn State to control the tempo.
Penn State's aggressive attacks forced errors on Coastal Carolina’s end. Coastal finished with 22 errors to Penn State’s eight. Penn State won the final two sets, 25-13.
It was all smiles for the blue and white throughout the game. The team was able to cycle deeper into the roster in tonight’s match.
“It’s so exciting,” Holland said. “These are my best friends. Seeing them go in makes me so happy for them.”
Blue and White will now enter the Big 10 schedule sitting at a perfect 11-0. The team has shown a lot of talent early in this season and expects to continue this high-end play.
“When we play sixes, it gets pretty aggressive,” Weatherington said. “We’re firing on all cylinders constantly so it’s never a dull moment.”
Penn State will begin Big Ten play next week against Indiana.
Kyle Schmidt is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kyle.schmidt1025@gmail.com.
