Blue White Illustrated

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Hancock lifts Lions to sweep of Minnesota Penn State Athletic Communications out in the regional semifinals, and last year they fell to Oregon in the national semis after setter Micha Hancock suffered an ankle injury in the second game. As a freshman, McClendon understood that winning national championships year in and year out "wasn't normal. She knew " that Penn State was in the midst of an extraordinary run and that she was fortunate to step into a situation in which she was surrounded by All-Americans like Blair Brown and Arielle Wilson who could help her excel. But at the same time, there was a regularity to the whole thing that made it seem as though the championships would just keep coming. "I felt like I had all these confident, super-talented girls around me – the seniors – and they were so sure of themselves: We always win, we don't lose. That attitude made me think it was kind of normal, it was a normal thing, she said. " "And then the next year they all graduated, and we were kind of young and floundering around and not really sure of ourselves. That was when I woke up from the dream. But I'm glad that I did, because it's taught me how hard it is to win and how great it feels to win something on your own. And even though I was a part of that team, I had five other girls who were just pumping me up all the time, and I was a product of that. I think doing it now on our own – that's what it feels like for me – it makes it feel that much more worth it and that much more spectacular. " I Second-ranked Penn State dismantled No. 11 Minnesota in straight sets (25-20, 25-17, 25-23) to extend its winning streak to 15 matches Nov. 16 at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. It was the 19th sweep of the season for the Nittany Lions, who improved to 24-2 and 15-1 in the Big Ten. HANCOCK Junior Micha Hancock led the offense to a .304 hitting percentage, finishing with 41 assists, four kills, four blocks and four digs. Hancock also had one ace, bringing her career total to 235, which moved her into a tie for first place in school history. Seniors Deja McClendon and Ariel Scott both recorded doubledigit kills in the victory, led by Scott, who totaled 14. McClendon had 11 kills on a match-high .409 hitting efficiency and added seven digs. Sophomore Megan Courtney and junior Dominique Gonzalez anchored the defense with nine digs apiece, while Courtney logged nine kills. Penn State was set to wrap up its home schedule with two matches in Rec Hall: Northwestern (Nov. 22) and Illinois (Nov. 23). The Nittany Lions will finish the regular season with a tough road swing that will take them to Ohio State (Nov. 27) and Nebraska (Nov. 30). As of midNovember, the Cornhuskers trailed Penn State by only one match in the Big Ten standings.

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