No. 1 Penn State Women’s Volleyball Tops Howard to Advance to NCAA Second Round

No. 1 Penn State women’s volleyball advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament thanks to a 3-1 win over Howard on Friday night in Rec Hall.

Haleigh Washington and Ali Frantti led the top-seeded Nittany Lions to a 25-10, 22-25, 25-15, 25-16 victory. Penn State now holds an all-time record of 95-29 in the tournament.

How It Happened

Late in the first set, Penn State took a 21-8 lead over the Bison following a spectacular rally that saw libero Kendall White and a handful of Nittany Lions go flying after the ball. She would post a match-high 17 digs. Frantti paced the offense with five kills in the first frame, while Simone Lee provided phenomenal defense with seven digs.

Howard kept things much closer in the second set, eventually holding off a Penn State rally to tie things up at 1-1 heading into the locker room. The Nittany Lions hadn’t dropped a set in the first round of the tournament since 1991.

The Bison never really challenged in third set but kept it close again in the early going of the fourth. The Nittany Lions though pulled away to for 25-16 win in the set to close out the match.

Penn State posted a .333 hitting percentage on the night, with Tori Gorrell and Heidi Thelen also turning in strong outings.

Player Of The Match

Haleigh Washington | Senior | Middle blocker

The Colorado Springs native continued her efficient form, finishing with a match-high 13 kills and five blocks.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (30-1) will host Pitt Saturday at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Panthers beat VCU 3-1 in Friday’s opener.