Penn State women’s volleyball sweeps Howard in Penn State Classic
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — No. 11 Penn State improved to 9-0 on the season after defeating Howard 3-0.
The Nittany Lions stood tall defensively, creating solid opportunities early to go on big runs. In the first two sets, Penn State went on 7-0 runs, distancing themselves from the Bison.
The blue and white totaled 11 blocks in three sets. Taylor Trammell collected six, followed by Seleisa Elisaia’s five blocks. Allie Holland was having it her way tonight on both sides of the floor.
Holland created havoc up front with four blocks and an efficient .429 hit percentage. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week showed up on the offensive side as well, leading the team with 10 kills.
Penn State showed no signs of struggling in the first two sets. The team sprinted out the gate, piling up points without slowing down.
“I think our approach is always the same,” said coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. “Coming out and attacking right away.”
Attacking is exactly what the Nittany Lions did in the second set. They took a commanding 10-point lead early and finished the second set 25-12.
Keeping the ball in the air was no issue for Penn State’s libero, Maddy Bilinovic. Coming off a career high 22 digs against a tough Oregon side, Bilinovic had a solid outing with 16 digs.
The third set was competitive for the majority of the time. Both teams made slight errors that kept the other side in play.
“We have to be focused and ready to go,” said Schumacher-Crawley. “We had a couple errors to start off with and that’s something we have to do a better job at.”
The Bisons were unable to get any runs going against Penn State due to the service issues throughout the night. Howard totaled 10 service errors throughout the match compared to Penn State’s three.
Right when Howard had a chance to steal a set, Taylor Trammell shut down all momentum with a commanding block. This put Penn State up late and started their 5-0 run to close out the third set 25-18.
This dominating performance by Penn State improves its record to 9-0.
Penn State will continue the home play throughout the weekend taking on Albany and Coastal Carolina in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Nittany Lions look to remain perfect on the season.
Kyle Schmidt is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kyle.schmidt1025@gmail.com.
