Penn State Volleyball Sweeps Temple, Gets Whole Roster Involved

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

No. 7 Penn State women’s volleyball swept Temple Sunday at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia on an afternoon where all 16 players checked into the match for the Nittany Lions.

Caroline Jurevicius led Penn State (2-0) with a match-high nine kills against the Owls, two more than she had in her collegiate debut in Friday’s 3-1 win over Tennessee. Jess Mruzik had five kills and hit .556 with zero attack errors before receiving some well-earned rest.

Box Score

A trio of Nittany Lions finished with four kills Sunday, as Jordan Hopp, Alexa Markley, and Anjelina Starck all saw significant action. Hopp was dominant at middle blocker in her Penn State debut, hitting .429 with four total blocks. Her physicality and strong offensive skills were immediately evident when she stepped on the court to begin the second set.

Hopp joined the program in early May after graduating from Iowa State and, within days, was on a flight to Europe with the Nittany Lions for their first international tour since 2017. The time overseas helped Hopp adjust to Penn State’s system and build a rapport with her new teammates. She reportedly performed well and received plenty of playing time in Europe.

Penn State volleyball alumna Macy Van Den Elzen made the hour-long drive from her hometown of Macungie, PA to watch her former teammates compete. Van Den Elzen helped run fellow Penn State alum Lina Perugini’s local volleyball camps this summer and is now working in marketing after graduating from the university last spring.

After recording 69 assists, 17 digs, four kills, three blocks, and one ace opening weekend, Izzy Starck collected her first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Starck is the first true freshman starting setter for Penn State since program great Micha Hancock’s debut season in 2011. Although she admitted afterward she was more nervous than expected before the Tennessee match, one would have never noticed given her play on the court, especially the final three sets.

Starck had 27 assists and five digs against the Owls while splitting time with backup setter and co-captain Quinn Menger. Hopp was complimentary of Starck’s game following the Temple match, saying the team’s hitters always have to be ready for Starck’s quick-thinking in transition. You can read Hopp’s full comments, along with those of Katie Schumacher-Cawley and Joce Nathan, below.

Nathan, a sophomore defensive specialist, had a career-high four of Penn State’s 12 aces Sunday in front of a large contingent of friends and family who traveled from Wilmington, Delaware, to watch her play. Nathan also recorded her first collegiate dig against the Owls after playing in two matches as a freshman last fall.

Freshman Ava Falduto took over libero duties from Gill Grimes to begin the second set and finished out the match in Penn State’s white jersey, tallying a career-high 13 digs after recording five Friday. Schumacher-Cawley and her coaching staff were able to try many different lineup combinations, and it’s clear the competition between Falduto and Grimes is only making Penn State’s defense better. They often shared the court against Tennessee and Temple and looked impressive.

Penn State hit .444 in the first set and then cooled off a bit offensively into the lower .200s in the second and third set. The Nittany Lions out-blocked Temple 7-3 and had a 35-31 advantage in digs. After making her collegiate debut against Temple last season, sophomore outside hitter Karis Willow notched her first kill in a Penn State uniform Sunday. Classmates Catherine Burke and Kate Lally made their Penn State debuts in the win.

The Nittany Lions remained No. 7 in this week’s AVCA poll heading into Tuesday night’s massive home opener against now-No. 4 Louisville (2-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. The Cardinals jumped two spots from their preseason ranking after beating Wisconsin 3-1 in the AVCA First Serve Showcase and sweeping Tennessee.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley

What did you think of today’s match? You were able to get everyone in.

“I thought we did a good job. We competed. It was nice to see everyone get in and contribute.”

What stood out to you about Jordan’s play today? She was pretty dominant there.

“I’m not surprised. Jordan does a great job in practice. She competes hard. I thought she did a great job blocking. She’s fun to watch.”

Caroline got on a roll, too. What stands out about her lately?

“I think she’s been working really hard in transition and finding ways to score. If it’s not a perfect set, she’ll tip or keep the ball in play. I think she’s just getting better and better, and more confident and comfortable on the floor.”

You tried a lot of different lineups. You had Ava in at libero. What stood out about her play today?

“I think Ava and Gill both do a great job. We just wanted to see what it looked like. I think Ava’s an excellent passer and an even better defender. It was good to see her in that [role] and get her a little comfortable. I thought her and Gill, all weekend, did a great job.”

You guys served pretty tough today and had a lot of aces. How important was that?

“It’s something we do every day. We talk about serving, making sure our serve-pass game is good. I’d like a few less errors, but I do like where we were with aces and serving tough.”

Joce did some nice things at the line. What impressed you about her?

“It doesn’t surprise me. Jocelyn does a great job in practice. She goes hard. She knows the expectations and understands what needs to be done. I’m proud of her for stepping up and doing a great job.”

What did you think of Quinn’s play at setter?

“Quinn’s a senior. I think she has great experience and she understands what needs to be done. She leads the team in practice. I’m confident and comfortable in putting her in.”

What’s your message to the team with a quick turnaround before a really big match [against Louisville]?

“Get back to State College, get some rest, and we’ll be back in the gym again tomorrow.”

What are some positives you noticed from opening weekend?

“It’s nice to have these two matches under our belts. I think we know what we have to work on. The goal is to continue to get better before conference play.”

Jordan Hopp

What was your experience like making your Penn State debut today?

“It was amazing. I had so much fun out there, just getting to experience everything with the girls. I think we did really well today.”

What are the things you’re most proud of the team for early on in the season?

“I’m proud of the support from everyone. I’m so proud that we’re able to go out there, like you saw today, everyone’s always ready to go. I’m really proud that we have so much youth on the team, but we’re also playing with a lot of experience. It’s just really good all around.”

What’s your relationship like with [Penn State’s] other middle blockers?

“I love the middles. They’re good. I push them, they push me. We have a great relationship in that aspect.”

What was it about Penn State that really intrigued you during the recruiting process?

“I just think the legacy of Penn State is really intriguing. The coaching staff was probably the thing that sold me the most. I love them. They’re great.”

What was your experience like overseas with the team?

“Overseas was so fun. Actually, that was my second* overseas trip with a volleyball team, so it was good to have that comparison. It was a great experience. Getting to play volleyball overseas is always fun.”

*Hopp traveled to Greece, Serbia, and Croatia with Iowa State in June 2023 and Slovenia, Italy, and Greece with Penn State in May 2024.

What’s it like playing with a setter like Izzy?

“It’s always good. Izzy’s great. You always have to be ready with Izzy, because even if you think, ‘Maybe I’m not going to get set if this ball’s past the 10-foot-line,’ she’ll fire it in to you. Always being ready and being prepared with Izzy is really fun.”

We also saw Quinn at setter. What does she do well?

“Quinn pushes you to be a better player all around. She really makes sure you’re understanding what she needs from you and what you need from her, and that’s a great relationship I think I have with Quinn. I love playing with Quinn, too.”

What are some of your biggest strengths as a player?

“I think [one of] my strengths as a player is just being up and available in transition. I think blocking I feel like I have a good strength in. And then just being a good teammate. Just supporting in my role, accepting my role, and being a good teammate.”

What’s it like when you get in that groove like we saw today and you start getting a lot of kills and blocks in a row. How does that feel?

“It feels good. It just feels natural. I got in my groove today and it just felt like, ‘I’ve been here before.’ It just makes me happy.”

What are some things you want to see from the team heading into a big match against Louisville?

“I would love to see us playing at a high energy and shaking off our mistakes, because volleyball is a game of mistakes. If we can shake off our mistakes faster and not compile them in a row, then we’ll do well.”

What have some of your teammates told you about playing in Rec Hall?

“They have told me that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I cannot wait to see about it.”

Joce Nathan

What was your experience like getting into the match today? You had a lot of success from the service line, especially.

“It was a great experience. I think it’s a good accomplishment for Katie to be able to trust you to go in and do your job. She trusted me and the other people to do that. I think it was just nice to get the experience on the court playing another team.”

You had a lot of friends and family here. Macy [Van Den Elzen] was here. What was it like playing in front of them?

“It’s really nice, just because, especially last year, I didn’t really play that much. Them being able to see me playing again after club and high school season, it’s nice to have their support. I’m from close to here, so a lot of people could come. It was really nice.”

What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from your freshman year to now, just as far as being a college volleyball player?

“I’d say just to take it easy on myself a little bit, be more resilient. One mistake isn’t the end of the world, and it doesn’t mean as much as sometimes I think it might. Just being patient with myself.”

What was your experience like overseas with the team?

“Amazing. I was so excited for trying all the different foods, and they were incredible. It was just great to be able to do it with my teammates and the people who I love.”

What are some things you enjoy most about this coaching staff?

“I think how hard they push us. You can tell that each and every one of them wants to have us grow as players and as people at the same time. I think a lot of staffs might not have that. It’s nice to know that they have your back on and off the court.”

How would you describe your relationship with your teammates and your bond?

“I love them all, honestly. We have a really tight group. I know that if I’m ever in trouble or just need someone to talk to, there are multiple people on the team who I can go to and who I can trust. It’s just a good group, and it’s a good group to be around to learn how to play the sport.”

What impressed you about Jordan’s play today?

“She was awesome. Obviously, I’ve seen her play in practice a lot and I know how good she is, but she really stepped up and made her mark today.”

What are some things you think you’ve improved most since you’ve gotten to Penn State?

“I think definitely defense, for me, has been a big thing, just learning how to get stopped. Right now, I’m learning more about my serve and what to do with it, and how to work on my toss and stuff. Every day is learning a new thing.”

What do you enjoy most about photography and other hobbies outside of volleyball?

“I used to do sports photography in high school and that was something I really enjoyed, but I kind of just did it for fun. I know there are a lot of opportunities at Penn State for that, so if I ever want to come back to it, I can. I really am into art and various other things like that. I like to draw. I’m not much of a painter, but I definitely love to draw and write and read books.”

What does it mean to you to play for a program as prestigious as Penn State?

“It’s an honor. To be able to wear the jersey and to be able to represent something as big as this program is just a complete honor.”