Out & About: Penn State/Minnesota

#10 posting 10.11.2008
your daily dose of girls volleyball news & information

PENN STATE nittany lions 3, MINNESOTA gophers 0
(25-18, 25-15, 25-12)

#1 Penn State made a PennStatement tonight by sweeping the #12 Gophers by a margin of 30 points. In the final set PSU sided out each and every time----12 straight times in suffocating the Gophers chances. Going back to the second set PSU sided out 15 straight times. For the night the Nittany Lions had a FBSO% of .778 (28/36). Only one Penn State rotation on the night was sub .500. Megan Hodge terminated nine Gopher initial serves (32% of PSU's FBSO). She led three Lions in double digit performances. As for the Gophers four players ended up in negative territory for the night. Over 10,000 fans filled Williams Arena on Dig Pink night to see what a #1 team firing on all cylinders can do.

In the first set the Gophers started off with high hopes leading 6-2, however PSU provided three of those points, and two were on service errors. Penn State didn't take the lead until 9-8. Minnesota had their final 3+ run of the night to tie the contest at 13. After that Penn State closed with a 12-5 run. The Gophers couldn't get a FBSO. That drip-drip-drip made the deficit grow. Minnesota took their first time out at 19-15. The second time out came at 23-18. The first bought time, the second didn't. Of the last five PSU points, three came on Gopher hitting errors.

The second set was even until the turning point of the night----On Hodges serve PSU ran off six more points after a side out to lead 12-5. A time out at 10-5 didn't stop the Lions. The PSU blocking game put a wrench in the Gophers attack pattern. It was like hitting against the Great Wall. Minnesota's hitting % on the night was a mere .033. Five of the first 12 points came on blocks. The Gophers subbed Hailey Cowles in the front row for Kyla Roehrig. The margin held steady until another three point run forced the second Gopher time out. The Lions finished the set with three straight kills by Arielle Wilson.

By this time the energy at Williams was dropping with the fans. That is when PSU went for the throat. 12 straight FBSO in the finale slammed the door. The Gophers had problems all night with rotations 4-5-6 and again PSU took advantage with a 8-2 run. For the night 4-5-6 was 20-43 .317. The whole match lasted 1:08.

rotation, player, position, aces-blocks-kills--earned/errors/differential
PENN STATE
1. Nicole Fawcett, OH 1-0/1-8---9.5/6/3.5
2. Roberta Holehouse, L 0-0-0----0/1/1
2fr: Arielle Wilson, MH 0-0/3-10---11.5/1/10.5
3. Alyssa D'Errico, DS 0-0-0----0/2/2
3fr. Blair Brown, RH 0-1/2-3----5/1/4
4. Megan Hodge, OH 1-0-15-----16/3/13
5. Kelsey Ream, DS 1-0-0-----1/2/1
5. Christa Harmotto, MH 0-1/8-7----12/1/11
5. Cathy Quilico, DS 1-0-0-----1/0/1
6. Alisha Glass, S 0-1/8-2----7/3/4
totals: 4-14-45----63 points, 12 points on Minnesota errors

MINNESOTA
1. Hailey Cowles, DS/OH 0-0-4----4/3/1
1fr. Kyla Roehrig, OH 0-0-3----3/6/3
2. Christine Tan, L 1-0-0-----1/1/0
2fr. Kelly Schmidt, MH 0-0-1----1/2/1
3. Pamela Luiz, RH 0-0-2----2/4/2
3br. Jessica Granquist, DS 0-0-0----0/0/0
4. Brook Dieter, OH 0-0-13----13/6/7
5. Lauren Gibbemeyer, MH 0-2-4----6/4/2
5. Christine Tan, L
6. Rachel Hartmann, S 0/0/0-----0/5/5
totals:

TRENCH PLAYER
Megan Hodge

BY THE NUMBERS
team, fbso/fbso attempts; fbso %; points, % earned; % allowed
Penn State 28/36-.778; 75
Minnesota 16/38-.421; 45
Runs 3+: Penn State 10, Minnesota 2
Longest point string: Penn State 7, Minnesota 3
Longest FBSO string: Penn State 15, Minnesota 3
Missed Serves: Penn State 10, Minnesota 2
Time Out %: Minnesota 1/5-.200; Penn State did not take a time out.

ROTATIONS
PENN STATE
1. Fawcett 10-7 .588
2. Holehouse 10-11 .476
3. D'Errico 12-7 .632
4. Hodge 18-6 .750
5. Ream 13-8 .619
6. Glass 12-6 .667
totals: 75-45 .625

MINNESOTA
1. Cowles 7-10 .412
2. Tan 7-10 .412
3. Luiz 11-12 .478
4. Dieter 7-18 .280
5. Gibbemeyer 6-13 .316
6. Hartmann 7-12 .368
totals: 45-75 .375

RACE TO:
Set: 5 10 15 20 25
set 1: M P P P P
set 2: P P P P P
set 3: P P P P P

BIGGEST LEAD
Team 1 2 3
Penn State 7 10 13
Minnesota 4 2 1

Next up: tomorrow