Penn State Athletics To Allow Full Capacity Crowds

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

The Penn State athletic department announced this afternoon that it will allow full capacity crowds at its sporting events this fall.

The women’s volleyball program invited players’ families to attend matches at Rec Hall this past spring during an abbreviated conference-only regular season. The return of fans and the annual White Out will be a welcome sight this fall.

“Our fans are a true home field advantage for all of our teams and the 2020-21 season was not the same without them in our venues,” athletic director Sandy Barbour said in a press release.

Penn State athletics will be converting fully to mobile ticketing for all sports “to allow for improved ticket delivery and management, as well as fewer physical contact points.” Unvaccinated fans will also be required to wear masks.

Russ Rose’s Nittany Lions finished the season ranked No. 12 in the final AVCA coaches’ poll after losing to Texas in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, which was held entirely in Omaha, Nebraska, due to COVID-19.

Penn State added a pair of highly touted transfers this offseason in outside hitters Erika Pritchard (Maryland) and Adanna Rollins (Minnesota), who are expected to compete for significant playing time upon their arrival in University Park this summer. Pritchard has one season of eligibility remaining, while Rollins brings two more years with her to Happy Valley.

Kaitlyn Hord and Jonni Parker were named AVCA All-Americans following the 2020 season and will continue to be major contributors for the Nittany Lions this fall. Penn State will also soon welcome five freshmen to campus from the program’s 2021 recruiting class.

Although the 2021 schedule has yet to be released, it is expected that Big Ten volleyball teams will again be able to play non-conference opponents, which could mean the return of the always popular Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge early in the season.