Kendall Northern became the fourth member of Penn State volleyball’s 2026 recruiting class Tuesday afternoon, announcing her verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions via Instagram.

Northern, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker/right-side hitter from Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio, joined setter Danielle Whitmire and outside hitters Finley Krystkowiak and Haley Burgdorf in Penn State’s 2026 class.

Northern plays club for Elevation VBC and is already touching 10’6″ as a junior in high school. She recently toured Penn State’s campus on an unofficial visit before picking the Nittany Lions. Northern is ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in 2026, according to VB Adrenaline, while Prep Dig has her No. 26 overall and the No. 2 player in Ohio.

Northern is a regular invitee of USA volleyball’s NTDP training sessions, most recently traveling to Anaheim, California, earlier this month to hone her skills alongside Whitmire, Burgdorf, and 2025 Penn State middle blocker commit Gabby Nichols. Northern posted a photo of her and Whitmire posing together in Anaheim on her Instagram account.

Northern took home one of several UA Next MVP honors at the April camp in Atlanta, Georgia. As a sophomore last fall, Northern led the Miami Valley Conference with 402 kills and has established herself as one of Ohio’s top players to watch as an upperclassman.

Penn State has a strong tradition of recruiting players from Ohio and Northern is the latest from the talent-rich state to choose the Nittany Lions. Northern earned first-team all-conference recognition as a sophomore and was named the District 16 DIII player of the year.

According to her prospect profile on VB Adrenaline, Northern attended camps at fellow Big Ten programs Nebraska, Wisconsin, and UCLA, but ultimately decided that Penn State was the best fit for her at the next level. All four 2026 Penn State commits are ranked within the top 40 overall, by one outlet or another, as Katie Schumacher-Cawley and her staff are off to one of the hottest starts in the country.