Penn State Sweeps Ohio State at Rec Hall
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Redshirt sophomore Jonni Parker recorded a team-high 12 kills and powered the Penn State Nittany Lions past the Ohio State Buckeyes on straight sets in the Dig Pink game on Saturday night at Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions (12-3, 5-1) cruised through the first set 25-12 before the Buckeyes (9-9, 2-4) applied the pressure and kept the final two sets close at 25-20 and 25-19.
The win improved Penn State’s all-time Dig Pink record to 12-0. Head coach Russ Rose praised the crowd for their support in the contest.
“I thought it was a great crowd, and that it was great they would come out and support a really great cause,” Rose said.
Parker led the team with 14 points, while sophomore Serena Gray tacked on 13 points with nine kills and a team high four blocks. Redshirt senior Tori Gorrell picked up nine kills in the win and sophomore Gabby Blossom recorded 35 assists.
The Buckeyes were led by freshman Jenaisya Moore, who went 12-32 on kill attempts and had 13 points. No other member on the Buckeyes had more than 13 kill attempts. Junior Becca Mauer added 17 assists.
The Nittany Lions outplayed the Buckeyes statistically with 41 kills compared to Ohio State’s 30. They committed only nine errors to Ohio State’s 23 and out blocked the Buckeyes 7-3.
Penn State will play five of their next six games on the road as they continue Big Ten play. Parker mentioned that the team needs to keep the intensity up away from Rec Hall.
“We have to come out with high energy and ready to go. We can’t think that it’s going to be easy when we come out,” Parker said.
Rose also acknowledged the time on the road, stating that they prepare for this at the beginning of the season.
“You realize that half of your schedule is played at home and the other half is on the road,” Rose said. “You have to be able to concentrate on your skill set and recognize that it is par for the course.”
Penn State has won six of their last seven, with the lone loss coming on the road against No.13 Wisconsin. Having four teams in the top eight nationally, senior Kendall White said that no team in the Big Ten will be an easy win, but she likes where her team is at moving forward in the season.
“Each team is unique. Each team has their own strengths and weaknesses…I also think our team is still younger and we have a lot of upswing still,” White said.
The Nittany Lions will travel to Ann Arbor on Friday for a matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.
Preston Shoemaker is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact, email pus144@psu.edu.
