Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/433715
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Lions return to NCAA semifinals Penn State hadn't dropped a set in nearly two months, much less a match. So when Wisconsin, the fourth seed in the NCAA tournament, edged the fifth-seeded Nit- tany Lions, 25-22, in the first set of the teams' Dec. 13 matchup in the final of the Louisville Regional, it was easy to imagine the freshman-heavy Lions suddenly feel- ing a bit rattled. Easy, maybe, but completely wrong. The Lions stormed back to win the next three sets against the Big Ten champion Badgers – 25-16, 25-22, 25-19 – and their 3-1 victory catapulted them into the NCAA semifinals for the 12th time in the pro- gram's history and the seventh time in the past eight seasons. They met top- seeded Stanford on Dec. 18 in Oklahoma City for the right to face either second- seeded Texas or unseeded BYU for the national title. Against Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions got a huge performance from Simone Lee. The freshman outside hitter came off the bench in the second set, filling in for class- mate Ali Frantti and delivering 12 kills to equal her season-high. She had seven kills on .750 hitting in the second set alone, as Penn State recovered brillianty from its loss in the first set. "I was just really glad to be able to come in off the bench and make a difference on the court," said Lee, who is from Menomonee Falls, Wis. "That's one thing Coach [Russ Rose] talks about a lot, just how, if you get the opportunity to play, you want to make a difference." In addition to Lee, two other Nittany Lions recorded double-digit kills in the victory. Redshirt junior Aiyana Whitney finished with a match-high 16 kills and added three blocks. Also, freshman Haleigh Washington had 10 kills on .368 hitting, adding five blocks. Senior Nia Grant tied for first on the team with five blocks, while also adding five kills and two digs. Senior Dominique Gonzalez anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 24 digs. Junior Megan Courtney finished second on the team with 13 digs. Senior Micha Hancock notched seven kills on 13 perfect swings, adding two aces, six digs and four blocks, as Penn State defeated Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row. Last season, the teams met in the title match, with Penn State prevailing, 3-1, for its sixth national crown. Whitney and Washington both earned spots on the All-Tournament team, while Hancock was named the Louisville Re- gional's Most Outstanding Player. ■ EDITOR'S NOTE This edition of Blue White Illustrated went to press prior to Penn State's NCAA semifinal match against Stanford. We will have a recap of the Nittany Lions' performance in Okla- homa City in our Jan. 23 issue. TAKING A FLYER Courtney puts down one of her team-high 11 kills in PSU's second- round sweep of Dayton. Photo by Curtis Chan