Following a win against Michigan State, the Nittany Lions welcomed Northwestern to their last home match of the season.
In the senior night showdown, Penn State defeated Northwestern 3-0.
Opening the first set on a 4-0 run, the blue and white was off to a quick start that the Wildcats weren’t ready for.
In an attempt to match Penn State, Northwestern was attempting powerful swings and tricks they couldn’t capitalize on.
Kills were connecting with the court for the Nittany Lions with a hitting percentage of almost .500. The team had Jess Mruzik’s and Allie Holland’s strong swings to thank as the Wildcats struggled to get under the ball fast enough.
Northwestern couldn’t put a stop to the opposing offense, giving Penn State the first set 25-15.
The beginning of the second set stayed fairly even as both teams were trading errors back and forth.
Zoe Weatherington stepped up to help the Nittany Lions get three-straight points, creating some separation in the score.
Outside Hitter and Right side Hitter Zoe Weatherington (17) spikes ball during Penn State girls volleyball game against Nebraska at the Recreation Hall on Friday Nov. 3, 2023
After the first set seemed like a breeze, Northwestern was posing more of a challenge in the second.
Both sides were making avoidable mistakes, highlighted by the Wildcats watching the ball fall to the court in confusion.
Disorganization was the Achilles’ heel for the blue and white’s defense, giving up the lead late in the set at 23-22.
However, Penn State rallied back to take the second set 25-23 on an important run.
The third set echoed the problems of the second, creating a back-and-forth battle.
Kennedy Hill and Maddy Chinn of Northwestern found their footing on the court, giving the team its largest lead of the match at 12-9.
The Wildcats this time were prepared for the finesse of the Penn State offense, slowing its momentum.
A characteristic Nittany Lion’s block brought back the energy to the home team, stopping the skid.
With a kill by Mruzik once more, the blue and white won the third set 25-22.
Penn State’s final two matches of the regular season will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday against Maryland and at 7 p.m. on Friday versus Ohio State.
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