The Nittany Lions took part in the B1G/SEC challenge in a historic match in Wrigley Field. Kennedy Martin (19 pts, 16 kills, 2 aces and 2 blocks), Whitney Lauenstein (15.5 pts, 13 kills, 1 ace and 2 blocks) and Finley Krystkowiak (10 kills, 2 blocks) led the Lions in a 4-set loss against the #3 Kentucky Wildcats.

It was a historic day for Women’s Volleyball as the Big Ten brings volleyball into Wrigley Field. It was also Penn State’s first ranked match up of non-conference play. After some shakiness from their opening week, Penn State looked to show their prowess as a team.

1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Kentucky	25	25	23	25	3
Penn St.	23	21	25	15	1

With high-flying hitters, it was interesting to see how Penn State would be affected by the outdoor conditions that would play a factor to hitting higher sets. Finley Krystkowiak (10 kills, 2 blocks) stepped up to keep the first set close. Kennedy Martin started off a little slow in the first set but managed to lead the Lions with 16 kills, 2 blocks and 2 aces. When it looked like the Wildcats would sweep the Nittany Lions, Whitney Lauenstein (13 kills, 2 blocks and 1 ace) showed to be an emotional leader for the Lions and her clutch play managed to extend the match to a fourth set. Alexis Stucky (34 assists, 3 kills, 2 blocks), who had the tough task of setting in the wind, initially was setting a fast low offense but settled to give Martin and Lauenstein their favored sets.

Penn State was extremely competitive in the first three sets. This was one of the stronger passing and defensive performances by the Lions led by Ava Falduto and Jocelyn Nathan with 11 and 7 digs respectively. Gabrielle Nichols (3 kills, 4 blocks) and Ryla Jones (7 kills, 3 blocks) performed well with their block defense getting many positive touches on the net. However, despite the strong 3-set performance, the Nittany Lions looked to have lost focus after 6-6 in the 4th after several players slipped on the court. Luckily, it seems no one from either side was hurt.

Because of the large lead that Kentucky had in the 4th, the stats do not reveal how close the match actually was. Kentucky led in kills (60-54; it was 44-43 before the 4th), blocks (12-8), and digs (61-58). Penn State continues their pursuit of strong serving (5 aces to 4 of UK) but were also more error prone (22 – 16 total errors). However, this should be an encouraging sign for Penn State Volleyball fans as team displayed grit and determination to stay in the match despite being down in most of the sets.

The Lions will stay in Chicago for their next match against DePaul tomorrow. The Lions will also have another match this week in The Palestra against the Stanford Cardinal on Friday.

Post-Match Press Conference

After the match, Coach Katie, Ava Falduto, and Alexis Stucky answered questions from the media.  Below is a transcript of the questions and answers, lightly edited for length and clarity.

Opening Statement by Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.

I just want to thank everyone for being a part of this. What a what a great experience. Not only for for women’s volleyball, but for women’s sports in the city of Chicago. I thought this was a tremendous job by the Big Ten.

Question: What is it like to play in a match like this?

Alexis Stucky: I mean, I think just the way volleyball has grown over the past couple years and seeing how they fill these stadiums is unreal, and it’s just I don’t know makes me so happy because we know how great the sport is, and it’s just so awesome that it’s getting the recognition it deserves.

Coach Katie: Yeah I’d like to commend the Big Ten and the steps that they’re taking with not only these events, but also, media day and everything that they’ve done for for our sport and the league, and continue to grow it. But it’s really special to be part of this event.

Question: For both players, what was it like the conditions out there? Ava, what was it like passing and Alexis what was it like setting after making the adjustment?

Ava Falduto: Yeah, it’s definitely an adjustment from indoor, but our practice room is pretty sweaty, so we’re kind of used to slippery floors. But no, we got two days to practice, so we were pretty well prepared.

Alexis Stucky: Yeah, I mean, we’d be lying if it said it wasn’t a factor, but I felt like we took the steps we needed to take to go into that night game ready.

Question: For the players as a follow-up to that. Did it change as the match went on? The sun went down. It felt like the wind picked up. How much were you having to adjust?

Ava Falduto: Yeah, it was definitely adjustment. Obviously, both sides were really slippery by the end of that third set. So, I mean, it was really cool because it showed that we were flying around and it was really sweaty, but yeah, it was definitely a factor, but not an excuse.

Alexis Stucky: Yeah, kind of same as Ava. I mean, I think it was a great night to play volleyball if you were going to be in the Windy City. That was probably as good as the conditions were going to get, but definitely still a factor.

Question: Can you guys talk about what went into that third set and what you guys think made you so successful in that?

Ava Falduto: Yeah, I think we have a lot of fiery people on our team, and they took a really big step, and our hitters started attacking the heck out of the ball, and it was really cool to see. But we know that’s the standard that Penn State has, and we need to do that all four sets.

Alexis Stucky: Yeah, I agree with Ava. I think everyone did a nice job of locking in and really competing our butts off, and the defense dug a lot of balls. There was a lot of really great positive block touches, so I think that really allowed us to get some momentum going.

Question: Coach, Despite the loss tonight, this is still an astounding event and a big moment for Penn State volleyball. How does it make you feel as a team to see that you’ve been invited to an event like this and that you’re being on a national stage with the best of the best?

Coach Katie: Yeah, I mean, I think we’re grateful for the opportunity. I think Penn State’s a pretty special place, and the players that came before us got us on this court, along with Coach Rose and everything that he did for the program. So we’re grateful for that, and hopefully it’s a learning experience, and you know we can continue to get better from here on.

Question: Coach, What’s the biggest lesson you want the team to learn?

Coach Katie: I think it’s just being able to be in the big moment and still do your job and be great. We were ahead a couple points and didn’t dig in and finish a set and you know I think that’s an experience for these guys. We have to get back to work and get better every day in practice and focus on that. But you know, there’s a short window of time when you can take over when you miss that opportunity, unfortunately, you don’t win. We’ll learn from it and get better.

Question: Your team kept Brooklyn DeLeye quiet in the first set but she caught fire from the second set on. What kind of challenges does she pose?

Coach Katie: I mean she’s a great player. I said from day one, you know, she’s going to get her kills, and we have to be able to find other ways to score. I thought we did a good job slowing some balls down, but you know she’s an excellent player, and she’s an All-American for a reason.

Question: Alexis, what has impressed you about the freshmen’s play this season?

Alexis Stucky: Oh my gosh! I think they’ve done such an awesome job, just stepping in and making big plays, and always being ready. And I’m just so proud of them. They’re doing such a great job, and they work so hard in practice every day. So I’m really happy they’re getting their opportunities because they deserve it.

Question: Katie, being from Chicago, how special is this event for you?

Coach Katie: I mean, you know, Ava’s from here too, we have a couple Illinois players. Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. There’s a reason why it’s a great sports town, and it’s just nice to see a lot of people, a lot of Penn State alum, and just a lot of great volleyball fans. It was a remarkable event something I think we’ll we’ll cherish for a while.

Ava Falduto: This whole thing has been so cool, and we’re really grateful for the Big Ten for putting it on such an incredible show for us.

Alexis Stucky: Yeah, it was really fun, and there’s so many alumni here that have our back, so it was really cool.

Question: I know the outcome of this game wasn’t what you guys wanted, but as you said, the opportunity was absolutely amazing. There was such an amazing crowd, and I feel like another really cool thing out of this match was the uniforms that you guys got. So, can you talk about what it was like getting the uniforms and what you planned to do with them after the game?

Ava Falduto: Yeah, they’re obviously so cool. We got the pinstripes going. It’s not something that everyone gets to wear, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, we’ll definitely cherish these for a while. Maybe frame them. We’ll see.

Coach Katie: Or sell them. Just kidding. I really like them.

Alexis Stucky: They’re definitely so awesome. I know Ava’s a big Cubs fan, so this is pretty exciting for her.

Question: Ava, what was the biggest lesson you learned form Gill (Grimes) last season?

Ava Falduto: Yeah, I think Jill has been such a great leader for me to play under my first two years here, and just seeing her fire and the way she makes everyone around her better really inspires me. And she’s definitely the player that I look up to the most.

Box Score