Penn State women’s volleyball seeks revenge against Ohio State
The last time Penn State faced Ohio State, it was a nailbiter decided by a fifth set. The Buckeyes eventually took the final set 15-11, edging out the Nittany Lions. On Saturday, the 11th-ranked blue and white seeks revenge at Rec Hall.
In the teams’ first meeting this season, Ohio State put up 72 kills to Penn State’s 54, and dominated in digs as well with 69 on the match compared to the Nittany Lions’ mere 48. Kashauna Williams was a force for Penn State, as she’s continued to be all season, putting up 20 kills in the match.
Most recently, the Nittany Lions lost 3-1 to Illinois in a close match, getting beaten in the fourth set by just two points, putting the blue and white at 17-5 on the season and 6-5 in the conference. Penn State kept it close for the majority of the battle, but Illinois was able to just pull through towards the end of each set to earn them the win. Overall, the Nittany Lions went 1-1 on the season against Illinois with a 3-0 win earlier in the year.
A lot of the Illini’s success can be attributed to Preseason All-Big Ten selection Raina Terry. The junior went off, putting up 24 kills on .380 hitting on top of four blocks throughout the match. Terry leads the team with 124 total kills on the season.
For the Nittany Lions, Williams had another outstanding night with 15 kills and a block, and Maddie Bilinovic also tallied 13 digs. Alexa Markley also had a standout performance putting up 14 kills and three blocks.
No. 6 Ohio State last took on rival Michigan. The Buckeyes soundly defeated the Wolverines in three sets, improving their record to 14-5 overall and 10-1 in the conference.
Junior Emily Londot for Ohio State finished the match with 13 kills and 12 digs for her eighth double-double of the season. Gabby Gonzalez also reached 10 kills for the 12th time this season, and recorded her 800th career dig and 100th career block.
Historically, Penn State has gotten the better of Ohio State supported by a record of 33-10. However, more recently the Buckeyes have dominated against the Nittany Lions, winning four of their last six meetings.
This Saturday, the energy will be in Penn State’s favor as the two powerhouses face off following a vicious football game between the two opponents at Beaver Stadium. Players like Williams, who had her best game against Ohio State, and Zoe Weatherington will have to continue to put up big numbers on offense if the blue and white want to edge out Ohio State.
The final regular season matchup between these two teams is set to take place at 8:30 p.m. in Rec Hall.
Cailey Thalman is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email cmt6182@psu.edu.
