Penn State Volleyball Advances to Sweet 16 with Win over Pitt

No. 16 seed Penn State (24-9, 14-6 Big Ten) punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 Saturday night in Rec Hall, rallying past Pitt, 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-18), after dropping the first set.

How It Happened

Junior setter Abby Detering orchestrated a balanced Penn State offense that saw three different Nittany Lions reach double-digit kills. Haleigh Washington and Simone Lee paced the blue and white with a match-high 14 apiece, while Ali Frantti added 11 of her own. Russ Rose’s bunch would finish the night hitting .321. Conversely, Dan Fisher’s Panthers posted a .147 clip due in part to Penn State’s 13 blocks.

Freshmen Stephanie Williams and Nika Markovic led the way for Pitt, as both finished with 14 kills. Markovic also tallied 12 digs in the loss to complete the double-double. Panther setter and Hawaii native Kamalani Akeo turned in a strong performance in this in-state rivalry, dishing out 38 assists and 11 digs. Tori Gorrell and Heidi Thelen chipped in 12 combined kills to round out the scoring for the Nittany Lions.

Freshman libero Kendall White was phenomenal once again, posting a match-high 18 digs and six assists. Sophomore defensive specialist Keeton Holcomb provided seven digs. The Nittany Lions put on a show in the final three sets, making sure their spot in the Sweet 16 was reserved for yet another year.

Player Of The Match

Abby Detering | Junior | Setter

The Mentor, Ohio, native finished with a match-high 42 assists, five kills, four blocks, four digs, and two service aces.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will face a familiar foe in No. 1 seed Nebraska, which swept TCU in the second round. Match time is TBD. The Cornhuskers are 2-0 against Penn State this season.