Podraza, Grimes Spectacular In Penn State Volleyball’s 3-2 Win Over Ohio State

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

No. 14 Penn State women’s volleyball rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat No. 24 Ohio State Saturday night at Rec Hall in its second five-set win of the weekend.

Mac Podraza had a season-high 48 assists and 14 digs against her former team, while Gill Grimes had a career-high 23 digs for the Nittany Lions (12-3, 6-0 Big Ten), who have won eight straight matches and 12 out of their last 13.

Box Score

Penn State improved to 52-21 in its all-time series against the Buckeyes, who fell to 6-9 on the season and 3-3 in conference play. The Nittany Lions hit just .190 Saturday night, but held Ohio State to .150 and star pin hitter Emily Londot to .031 despite her team-high 16 kills. Penn State out-blocked the Buckeyes 14-12, but surrendered 10 service errors and had only one ace.

Up 20-19 in the first set, Podraza pulled off an incredible kick save to keep the ball alive and eventually win the point on one of Jess Mruzik’s match-high 21 kills. Former Penn State setter Bryanna Weiskircher-Moore, who had a kick save of her own against Ohio State in Rec Hall in 2018, was in attendance for both matches this weekend. Mruzik took 69 swings, four more than Londot, and added 12 digs, but had a relatively low hitting percentage of .130 against the Buckeyes.

A night after honoring its 2013 NCAA national championship team, the Penn State program welcomed back several members of its 2008 championship team, including Ohio State assistant coach Nicole Fawcett. Penn State assistant coach Megan Hodge Easy also posed for photos with her former teammates after the second set. Blair (Brown) Lipsitz, Roberta (Holehouse) McGuiney, Katie Kabbes, and Kelsey (Ream) Napolitan were also in attendance.

Sophomore pin hitter Alexa Markley had a career-high 15 kills, four total blocks, and a dig, showcasing her athletic ability high above the net. Camryn Hannah joined Markley and Mruzik in double figures with 12 kills, five total blocks, and a dig. Hannah and Markley have provided some much-needed offense for the Nittany Lions of late, giving the team reliable scoring options behind Mruzik.

Allie Holland and Taylor Trammell combined for 14 total blocks and 13 kills, as Holland’s eight blocks led all players and stretched her team lead in that category to 77 on the season. Trammell sits in second place with 63 total blocks so far. Maddy Bilinovic was the only other substitute outside of Markley for the Nittany Lions. Bilinovic had 12 digs and three assists. Penn State went on a 7-1 run to close out the Buckeyes in the fifth set.

The Nittany Lions will have a few days of practice before flying to Iowa and Nebraska for a pair of road matches next Friday and Saturday in Iowa City and Lincoln, respectively. Both matches will be broadcast on Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. ET. The Hawkeyes (8-10, 0-6 Big Ten) have been swept in five straight matches, while the Huskers (15-0, 6-0 Big Ten) will host Michigan State Friday at 7 p.m. ET before welcoming the Nittany Lions to the Devaney Center Saturday.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley, Mac Podraza, and Alexa Markley handled post-match media responsibilities for the Nittany Lions after singing the alma mater together with the band and a host of Penn State fans on the court following the win. The transcript of questions and answers can be found below. Podraza also spoke to NCAA Digital’s Michella Chester afterward.

Post-Match Press Conference

Schumacher-Cawley’s opening statement:

“It was a great win. I’m proud of this team and how they competed and got better as the match went on. Any win in this conference is a great win, and I think this was a really nice one.”

What are some of the things that you think went well for you guys tonight?

KSC: “I thought we competed hard. We started serving a little bit more aggressively. I thought Alexa took some big swings there in the fourth and fifth set. I think Mac set a great game, and she played much better defense today. It was a total team effort. I thought everyone was locked in. Whether they were playing or not playing, they knew what was going on and they were ready to contribute.”

What did this win mean to you, Mac?

Podraza: “We talked about it before the match. Once it came down to game time, I just looked at it like another match in the Big Ten, just another opponent that’s going to be tough no matter what, but, you know, this one meant a little bit more, as everybody knows. That’s a good team over there. They’re making strides. They’re a young team. I have a lot of respect for that program, and I’m excited to be here. It meant a lot, but I’m ready to keep moving on to the next Big Ten win.”

This was a big match and drew a huge crowd. How does having that many people and that much noise surrounding you in Rec Hall affect your play?

Podraza: “I said it out loud. I was like, ‘I have full-body chills right now.’ It’s really cool.”

Markley: “We love playing at home. We love our fans, our band. I think it just adds to it. It adds momentum and adrenaline.”

Podraza: “I love that, at Big Ten media days, there were five or six different girls who said this was the hardest place to play. Last year, if you would have asked me that, I would have said this was the hardest place to play. Now, it’s my favorite place to play, so I like how those tables have turned.”

Alexa, how would you assess Gill’s performance tonight? She had a career-high 23 digs.

Markley: “Gill’s insane. She’s always talking. She’s always in the gym getting extra reps, balling out. Every single play, I look at her, and she tells me what shots are open. I hear her every single swing I take. She’s in my ear yelling. Gill’s amazing. I’m so happy to see how well she’s improved and that she’s playing so great.”

Podraza: “She was a little extra fiery today, too. I liked that. It was good.”

Mac, what kind of challenges did Ohio State pose tonight?

Podraza: “They put up a good block. It was hard to find holes in that block. I think that was something that I relied on Jess a bunch for in that match. I would have liked to not have done that as much, but here we are. We came out on top, so it went well. I think Alexa did a good job. I think our team did a good job finding holes in that block in crunch times. I think their block was gnarly and they played some scrappy defense behind it.”

Coach, your team was able to hold [Emily] Londot to a fairly low hitting percentage. How important was that?

KSC: “She’s a great player. She took some big swings, and she scored when they needed some points. I thought we defended a little bit better as the match went on, getting some digs and touching some balls at the block. We knew she would come in and get her kills. It was just how we would respond and be able to stop some other people.”

How beneficial will it be moving forward to have these two five-set matches in your back pocket?

KSC: “I’m just happy we got the wins in the back pocket. No, every set is an opportunity for us to get better and for them to feel more comfortable. I’m just happy with the win.”

This being alumni weekend, what was it like to see past national champions from Penn State out there on the court?

Podraza: “It was really cool. We talk a lot about honor and that being part of our core values and being part of this culture that we want, and the legacy that we want to leave behind. Katie doesn’t let us forget that we’re really lucky to have what we have, because of the people who came before us. To have those people in this building today was really special. I think there were even moments on that court out there when we were talking about — I have chills right now talking about it — but the fact that we need to play to honor the people who have come before us and show them that we’re relentless, we don’t stop, we’re gritty, all those things. It was really cool to have two five-setters and be the gritty team that we can be with all of them here.”

Alexa, what does it mean to the team to be wearing these pink ribbons this weekend [for breast cancer awareness month]. How important is that cause to you guys?

Markley: “Yeah, I think it’s very important. I know a lot of us on the team, we have family and friends — my two grandmothers have both been affected by breast cancer and are survivors — so I think it’s super important and it’s great. We play for a cause, to support these women out there. I love it.”

Mac, what’s your message to the team heading into practice this week?

Podraza: “I think it’s the same as every week. What Katie says. On to the next. Take a moment, celebrate the win, and then move on, look at the next opponent, and here we go.”