Match Preview: Ohio State vs. Penn State

The Match: Ohio State  (20-9, 8-8 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (23-4, 13-3 Big Ten)

When & Where: November 17, 2010, 7:00 p.m. ET.; Rec Hall

Media Coverage: GameTracker; Big Ten Network – Streaming Video

Match Snapshot

Having clawed their way into a tie for first place in the Big Ten with sweeps last weekend of Wisconsin and #9 Illinois, every one of their last four matches is a must-win for Penn State, and that is certainly true for tonight’s match against Ohio State.  

  • Ohio State

The Buckeyes are a solid team, and as Iowa’s victory over Michigan last weekend proved (or should have proved) to everyone in the Big Ten, on any given night.  So past performances aside, the Nittany Lions would be ill-advised to take Ohio State lightly.  On offense, the Buckeyes are led by  5-10 Sr. OH Katie Dull, who is averaging 4.15 points/set and 3.52 kills/set.    6-1 So. OH Emily Danks is second on the team with 3.22 points/set, and 6-3 Gr. OH Anna Szerszen is third with 2.95 points/set (and 2.51 kps). 6-2 Sr. MB Kelli Barhorst is averaging 2.29 kps, and leads the team with a .332 attack %. , and 5-10 Sr. MB Allie Schwarzwalder’s  .302 attack % is second on the team.  5-10 Sr. S Betsy Hone is averaging 9.64 assists/set. 

On defense, 5-5 Jr. L/DS Sarah Mignon leads the team with 3.50 digs/set, followed by Dull (1.79 digs/set) and Hone (1.54 digs/set).  Allie Schwarzwalde’s  1.26 blocks/set is first on the Buckeyes, followed by 6-3 So. MB Mariah Booth’s 1.08 blocks/set.   

As a team, Ohio State is hitting .264, while holding opponents to a .178 attack %.  

  • Penn State

For Penn State, 6-5 Sr. Opp. Blair Brown leads the team with 3.94 kills per set, followed by 6-1 Fr. OH Deja McClendon (3.39 kps) and 6-3 Sr. MH Arielle Wilson (2.74 kps). 5-6 So. S Kristin Carpenter is averaging 10.98 assists/set.  On defense, 5-9 Sr. L Alyssa D’Errico leads the team with 3.86 digs/set, while  Wilson is averaging 1.19 bps, 6-3 Sr. MH Fatima Balza  averages 1.25 bps, and 6-6 Fr. MH Katie Slay is averaging 1.56 bps.  We’ll be interested in seeing whether Katie Slay plays tonight, and whether 6-5 Fr. OH Ariel Scott continues to improve (whether coincidence or not, the Nittany Lions haven’t lost since she began playing on a regular basis).

For the season, Penn State is hitting .312 as a team, while holding their opponents to a .124 attack %.

Here’s the Buckeye’s 2010 Roster:

No.   
Name   
Pos.   
Ht.   
Yr.   
Hometown (Prev School)
2   Barhorst, Kelli MB 6-2 Jr. Anna, Ohio (Anna) (Team Atlantis)
10   Booth, Mariah MB 6-3 So. Kennesaw, Ga. (Kennesaw Mountain) (A5)
4   Bowler, Kelsey L/DS 5-6 So. Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North) (Sports Performance)
1   Danks, Emily OH 6-1 So. Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock) (Austin Juniors)
9   DiSalvatore, Davionna L/DS 5-8 Fr. Clearwater, Fla. (Countryside) (Tampa Bay Jrs)
16   Dull, Katie OH 5-10 Sr. Solon, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit) (Akron-Canton Elite)
5   Halverson, Susan L/DS 5-8 Sr. Apple Valley, Minn. (Apple Valley) (Northern Lights)
13   Hone, Betsy S 5-10 Sr. Celina, Ohio (Celina) (Team Atlantis)
11   Leary, Kaitlyn OH 6-1 Fr. Parma, Ohio (Padua Franciscan) (Cleveland Volleyball Company)
7   Mignin, Sarah L/DS 5-5 Jr. Sylvania, Ohio (Northview) (Premier)
8   Otto, Marissa L/DS 5-8 Fr. Cincinnati, Ohio (Mt. Notre Dame) (Cincy Classics)
15   Peterson, Amanda S 6-0 So. Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard East) (Sports Performance)
3   Schwarzwalder, Allie MB 5-10 Sr. North Royalton, Ohio (North Royalton) (Akron-Canton Elite)
17   Schwarzwalder, Amy OH 6-3 Fr. North Royalton, Ohio (North Royalton) (Maverick)
14   Szerszen, Anna OH 6-3 RGr. Conflans Ste Hne, France (Lyce’e International) (IFVB)

Here’s Penn State’s 2010 Roster:

Updated as of 8-24-2010

NumberName PositionYear/
Class
HeightHS
(Club)
State/
Nation
1 Scott,
Ariel

Opp/OH1/Fr.6-4Immaculate Heart Academy
(Team Complete
Athlete)
NJ
2 Kabbes,
Katie

OH3/Jr.6-5Cardinal Gibbons
(Triangle Volleyball)
NC
3 Balza,
Fatima

MH4/Sr.6-3Liceo CaracasVE
4 Ullrich,
Jessica

DS4/Sr.5-8Wheaton North
(1st Alliance)
IL
5 Carpenter,
Kristin

S/DS2/So.5-6Hanover
(Richmond Volleyball Club)
VA
6 Martin,
Maddie

OH1/Fr.6-2H.B. Plant
(Tampa Bay
Juniors)
FL
7 Wilson,
Arielle

MH4/Sr.6-3Proviso East
(1st Alliance)
IL
8 Denney,
Erica

MH1/Fr.6-5Grandview
(Front Range
Volleyball Club
)
CO
9 Brown,
Blair

Opp4/Sr. (RS)6-5Loudoun Valley
(Renaissance)
VA
10 Racibarskas,
Marika

S2/So.6-0Chatham
(Team Complete
Athlete)
NJ
11 Dorton,
Darcy

OH2/So.6-2Delta
(Munciana)
IN
12 D’Errico,
Alyssa

L/DS4/Sr.5-9Byron-Bergen
(VolleyFx Magic)
NY
13 Shifflett ,
Megan

DS/S3/Jr.5-6Langley
VA Elite
VA
14 Quilico,
Cathy

L/DS4/Sr.5-1Westlake
(Gene's Team)
CA
15Harding,
Maggie

DS1/Fr.5-6State College
Area
PA
16Slay,
Katie

MH1/Fr.6-6Raleigh
(Triangle Volleyball
Club
)
NC
18McClendon,
Deja

OH1/Fr.6-1Dupont Manual Magnet
(KIVA)
KY
19 Pabst,
Krosby

DS1/Fr.5-7Woodrow
Wilson
(Mizuno Long Beach)
CA
22 Moydell,
Mikinzie

S1/Fr.6-0Chaparral
(Front Range Volleyball Club)
CO
23 Longo,
Ali

DS1/Fr.5-6Chatfield
(Juggernaut Volleyball)
CO