Volleyball Edged By #1 Penn State in Tight Affair
9/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BOX SCORE (.html)
BOX SCORE (.pdf)
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Seton Hall volleyball team put a scare into top-ranked Penn State on the road before falling in three sets (25-20, 25-14, 25-20). The Pirates (1-3) are back in action tomorrow against Virginia Commonwealth at 1:00 p.m. and Colgate at 4:00 p.m. on the final day of the Hampton Inn Classic.
Senior Sarah Osmun (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and sophomore Hannah Hugeback (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the Hall with seven kills each. Senior Megan Murison (Woodridge, Ill.) had nine digs, while sophomore Olivia Trudeau (Shell Beach, Calif.) rang up 21 assists.
Deja McClendon had 14 kills to lead the undefeated Nittany Lions (4-0), while All-American Arielle Wilson added 11. Penn State has now won 106 matches in a row.
After trading points early in set one, the Pirates took an 8-6 lead after a kill by sophomore Morgan DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and an ace from Murison. After Penn State evened it back up, Hugeback came up with a kill to give the Hall a 9-8 advantage.
The Nittany :Lions worked their way in front, leading 22-18 after a kill from Blair Brown. Seton Hall closed back to within two after consecutive errors by Brown and Maddie Martin, but Penn State recovered to survive set one, 25-20.
The Pirates were going toe-to-toe again early in set two, trailing just 8-6 after an ace by freshman Alyssa Warren (Joliet, Ill.). Penn State found its rhythm, pushing out to a 17-8 lead, but Hugeback and Osmun led the Hall's charge back to an 18-13 score with a pair of kills each. It would not be enough, however, as the Nittany Lions closed with a 7-1 run to take a two-set lead.
Seton Hall fell behind 7-1 in set three before surging back. Trudeau and DeVries teamed up for a block on Katie Kabbes that made it a 10-8 game, and later, an error by Kabbes had the Hall to within 11-10. Trudeau came up with an ace to even the score at 13, followed by an attack error on Brown and another service ace that gave the Pirates a two-point lead.
After Penn State regained the lead, Osmun led the Hall back, tying it at 16 with a kill. The Nittany Lions again regrouped to go ahead, and a final push from the Pirates was not enough down the stretch.
