Hord, Gray Lead No. 8 Penn State to Sweep Over Indiana
The Middles Combined for 22 Kills on .556 Hitting
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The eighth-ranked Penn State women’s volleyball team won for the ninth time in 10 matches as it cruised to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-18) win over visiting Indiana in a Big Ten match Friday night at Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions improved to 18-4 overall and 11-2 in the Big Ten, while the Hoosiers dropped to 12-14 overall and 1-12 in the conference. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Wisconsin was upset by Ohio State, putting four teams within one loss of each other at the top of the conference. Wisconsin fell to 12-1 in league play and is tied with Minnesota for first, while Nebraska and Penn State sit one match back.
Penn State’s middle blockers were dominant in the win over Indiana, combining for 22 kills on .556 hitting. Kaitlyn Hord led the way with 12 kills on .611 hitting and added six total blocks. Serena Gray hit .500 with 10 kills after starting the match with six on her first six attacks.
Tori Gorrell joined the two middles with a solid performance on the outside, tallying 10 kills. Jonni Parker and Allyson Cathey added five apiece, while Parker also contributed three block assists.
Setter Gabby Blossom already had her eighth double-double of the season midway through the second set and finished the match with 37 assists and 12 digs. She only trailed Kendall White, who finished with 14, for the team lead in digs.
White continued her hunt for the program’s record in career digs. She now has 1,832, putting her 126 away from passing Kaleena Walter for the most in school history.
Penn State finished with a 52-40 advantage in digs, helped by seven from senior Keeton Holcomb. Jenna Hampton added four digs in addition to three assists.
Jacqui Armer had the most efficient night for the Hoosiers, totaling eight kills with a .538 hitting percentage.
Penn State improved to 54-1 in the all-time series with Indiana. The Lions have never lost to the Hoosiers at Rec Hall, upping their record to 28-0 in the series on their home court.
The Lions now turn their attention to a matchup of nationally-ranked teams as they welcome No. 15 Purdue to Rec Hall on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Boilermakers re 16-6 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten after a sweep of Rutgers on Friday. They have won five of their past six matches, including a 3-1 upset over Nebraska in West Lafayette.