Hannah, Mruzik Lead Penn State Volleyball To 3-1 Win Over Michigan

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

No. 13 Penn State women’s volleyball beat Michigan 3-1 Friday night at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor behind strong showings from Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik.

Hannah had a season-high 20 kills and hit .395 against the Wolverines, while Mruzik added 18 kills and 11 digs versus her former team for her seventh double-double of the season. Mac Podraza had a match-high 46 assists in guiding the Nittany Lions (15-5, 9-2 Big Ten) to a .275 hitting percentage.

Box Score

Fifth-year senior pin hitter Zoe Weatherington made her second start of the season, while Hannah came off the bench for the Nittany Lions after being a regular starter of late. Weatherington led Penn State with seven total blocks in the win, tying Michigan’s Serena Nyambio. Weatherington also had six kills, two digs, and one of Penn State’s three aces. The Nittany Lions out-blocked the Wolverines 11-7, but Michigan owned a 60-52 advantage in digs.

Hannah and defensive specialist Maddy Bilinovic (five digs, one assist) were Penn State’s only substitutes of the night, while Michigan rotated more often, deploying five subs during the match. Jacque Boney and Kendall Murray finished with a team-high 13 kills apiece for the Wolverines (3-17, 1-10 Big Ten). The two teams will play again on Friday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at Rec Hall. Penn State is now 55-6 all-time against Michigan.

โ€œI think Cam has gotten so much better as the seasonโ€™s gone on,” Katie Schumacher-Cawley said Wednesday. “I think sheโ€™s worked really hard on blocking and being able to attack from different points on the court. Iโ€™m excited to see her continue to get better.”

Schumacher-Cawley also discussed Mruzik’s impact so far this season during our interview with her before Wednesday’s practice. She’s previously lauded Mruzik’s ability to play the whole game as one of the best six-rotation players in the Big Ten and all of college volleyball. Mruzik, who hails from Livonia, Michigan, had scores of family and friends in attendance.

โ€œI think Jess is a great player,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “She works on her game, sheโ€™s focused, and I think sometimes wants to do everything all the time. Thatโ€™s just the type of player she is. Iโ€™m okay with Jess taking a lot of swings, because I know Iโ€™d want her swinging if I were playing, too.โ€

Sophomore libero Gill Grimes had a team-high 13 digs and one assist versus the Wolverines, while junior outside hitter Anjelina Starck added nine digs, two kills, and an assist, continuing to showcase her value as one of the team’s better passers. Taylor Trammell and Allie Holland had seven and four kills, respectively, while Holland added six total blocks.

The Nittany Lions will wrap up their road trip Saturday at 7 p.m. against Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The Spartans (13-9, 5-6 Big Ten) were swept by No. 2 Wisconsin at home Friday night. Penn State owns a 53-7 lead in the all-time series against the Spartans heading into Saturday’s match.