Penn State alumni Dietzen, Glass Win Bronze in Women’s Volleyball

Penn State women’s volleyball alums Christa Harmotto Dietzen and Alisha Glass helped Team USA to a bronze medal Saturday, giving the Nittany Lions four podium appearances and five medal winners thus far at the Rio Olympics.

Team USA upended the Netherlands 3-1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19) to earn its third consecutive Olympic medal, following a pair of silver showings in Beijing and London, with both losses coming against Brazil. Serbia shocked the Americans in the semifinals, topping the world’s No. 1 team in five sets after losing to the U.S. in preliminary action. It will face China for the gold Saturday night.

Dietzen can add a second Olympic medal to her collection, as the 29-year-old middle blocker and team captain also took home silver in 2012 alongside fellow Nittany Lion great Megan Hodge Easy. The 28-year-old Glass put together an outstanding tournament in her first Olympics, directing head coach Karch Kiraly’s offense from the all-important setter position. Saturday’s consolation win also marked a major milestone for Penn State women’s volleyball, which can now count four alumnae as Olympic medalists.

With bronze around their neck, Dietzen and Glass join fellow Penn Staters Miles Chamley-Watson, Monica Aksamit, and Joe Kovacs as medal winners in Rio.