Mac Podraza’s Homecoming Double-Double Leads Penn State Volleyball To Ohio State Sweep

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

No. 14 Penn State women’s volleyball swept Ohio State Friday night at the Covelli Center thanks to a standout performance from Mac Podraza, who had 34 assists and 13 digs against her old team.

Podraza, who hails from the Columbus suburb of Sunbury, Ohio, guided the Nittany Lions to their second victory over the Buckeyes this season and their sixth straight win to wrap up the regular season. Now, Penn State (21-8, 15-5 Big Ten) awaits its NCAA tournament seeding, which will be announced Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Box Score

Penn State volleyball alumna and Columbus Fury player Megan (Courtney) Lush was among a crowd of more than 4,000 fans in attendance, watching the action with her husband and their daughter, Nora. Podraza’s mother, Christine, is the team services director for the Fury, which will begin play in the Pro Volleyball Federation in January 2024. After the win, Mac and the rest of Penn State’s Ohioans, including Allie Holland, Maddy Bilinovic, and Karis Willow, posed for photos with large groups of friends and family.

The Nittany Lions overcame 14 errors and an early 7-2 deficit in the first set to take a 1-0 lead, fending off set point for Ohio State, 24-23, with a Taylor Trammell kill before an eventual pair of kills from Camryn Hannah closed it out. Hannah finished with a match-high 17 kills, five digs, two of Penn State’s three aces, and a block. Jess Mruzik joined Hannah in double figures with 12 kills, five digs, and two blocks.

Trailing 5-2 in the second set, the Nittany Lions went on a ridiculous 17-2 run, fueled by Hannah’s 12 consecutive serves. Mruzik and Hannah had back-to-back kills to help the Nittany Lions win the set in dominant fashion, as they hit .385 on their way to a 2-0 advantage. The third set was much closer, as Emily Londot’s 15th kill of the night tied it up at 23-23 before Hannah and Mruzik again shut the door with consecutive kills to win the match.

Penn State, which hit .260, held the Buckeyes to a .057 hitting percentage and out-blocked them 8-6. Holland, who had a huge cheering section, as she’s from nearby Hilliard, Ohio, led all players with five total blocks. She added seven kills and an assist, hitting .385 against the Buckeyes. Trammell had four kills (.571) and three total blocks, making the most of her seven swings, as she did not record an attack error. Zoe Weatherington had three total blocks, two digs, and a kill to round out the scoring.

Bilinovic, an Independence, Ohio, native, had eight digs and an assist as one of only two substitutes for the Nittany Lions Friday night. Anjelina Starck, Penn State’s other sub, had one dig as she continued to come off the bench for Hannah’s two non-serving back-row rotations. Sophomore libero Gill Grimes had nine digs and five assists, helping the Nittany Lions secure a 43-39 advantage in digs. Podraza, Bilinovic, and Katie Schumacher-Cawley answered questions courtside after the match. The transcript can be found below.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley

What do you think went well for the team tonight?

“I think after the first half of the first set, we buckled down and our serve-pass game got much better. I think we just gutted it out and found ways to score points. I thought everyone contributed. I think when we play great as a team, we can do a lot of special things.”

How important was it for the team to step up at the end of that first set?

“I think Ohio State’s a great team. They’re competitive. They don’t stop. It was nice to see us have a little run of points there and be able to finish that set. I’m thrilled. Any time you can win in this league and win on the road is a big deal.”

The second set went pretty well for you guys. What do you think were some of the positives from that?

“I thought we were passing much better. I thought we were better on the end line. I thought, just overall, the team competed hard.”

How would you assess Mac’s performance and the other Ohio girls?

“I was happy for all of our Ohio girls. I thought they played hard. There’s a great deal of pride in Ohio. I know our kids are happy they’re Penn Staters. I’m happy for them.”

What were some of the keys to success tonight that maybe didn’t show up on the stat sheet?

“I think some of our players who usually hit better didn’t, and other people stepped up. If we’re not scoring offensively, I thought, defensively, Jess [Mruzik] did a great job. Cam [Hannah] was great. Zoe [Weatherington] was getting some touches on the block. I thought everyone did their part.”

How have you seen Cam improve and what did she do well tonight?

“Cam takes big swings and she’s aggressive. I think she’s just getting better and better as the season goes.”

What would you like to see from your team moving forward heading into the postseason?

“I would like to see them enjoy this a little bit. It’s exciting heading into the tournament, but understanding that they have to be prepared and ready to go, and use these couple days to get some rest.”

Mac Podraza

What was it like being back here in Columbus?

“So crazy, so weird. A lot of emotions, but it was a lot of fun. It was good to go out in that fashion and end my Big Ten career like that.”

What do you think the team did particularly well tonight?

“I think Cam Hannah went off. We were getting really good block touches. Our goal was to shut down Emily Londot. She’s a heck of a player. I think we did just that. We kept her hitting right around .100. That’s a goal for any team to do to be able to beat [Ohio State], because if she’s scoring, that team’s winning. Shutting her down is what we needed to do, and I think we did a good job of that.”

What went well in the second set for you guys?

“Service pressure. Cam Hannah from behind the line was nails. It’s all about the serve and pass.”

What are some things you want the team to focus on heading into practice next week?

“It’s the postseason. Every game is important, so I think it’s just taking it day by day, focusing on what we can control and getting better at that serve-and-pass game to carry our offense and defense through.”

What was it like taking photos with a bunch of kids after the match?

“That was cool. I remember doing it while I was here as a player for Ohio State, so now, doing it in this jersey and those kids still having the appreciation and this fan base still having the appreciation is pretty cool. I wanted to leave a good legacy and impact on this program, and I feel like I did just that, coming back here and feeling all the love.”

What was it like catching up with your former teammates?

“It’s always nice to see people who I played with. They seem to be doing really well and I wish them nothing but the best moving forward.”

How would you assess your team’s defense tonight?

“I think we played pretty well defensively. We got good block touches, which led to the opportunity to make big digs. I think we just have to always keep getting better, but it looked pretty good tonight.”

Maddy Bilinovic

What was it like being back here in Ohio?

“I always love playing here, obviously. My family shows out for me. They’re the best, the best support system out there, so it’s good to be home.”

How would you describe the team’s win tonight? What did you guys do particularly well?

“I thought we had some glimpses of good and bad, and I think that we did a good job responding when things weren’t going our way.”

How important was it to step up at the end of that first set?

“I think OSU’s a great team, a good program. We knew they weren’t going to let us off the hook easily. We just had to respond, do what we practice, and we know what we can handle and what we can do, and we showed that today.”

How would you describe the volleyball culture in Ohio?

“A bunch of girls get into it at a pretty young age. It’s a big deal in Ohio to play volleyball. You grow up looking up to older players, so we saw that today, for sure.”

What was it like getting the win tonight for Mac against her old team?

“Any win in the Big Ten is a good win. I’m happy that we got to end Mac’s [Big Ten] career here in Ohio and got the win for her.”

What are you focused on as a team and personally heading into the tournament?

“Just sticking to what we know and working hard, competing at practice like we always do. I would say just serve receive, always. If we can serve and pass, then we’ll win games.”