Oct. 4, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - The last time the Penn State volleyball team came to Evanston with a national ranking, the Nittany Lions went home with a loss.
The Wildcats will look to make that happen again this weekend, as they host No. 11 Ohio State and No. 10 Penn State in Big Ten Conference action.
On Friday, the Buckeyes bring an unbeaten record and the Big Ten Player of the Week to Welsh-Ryan Arena. Freshman outside hitter Stacey Gordon is averaging 4.21 kills per game for Ohio State (12-0, 4-0).
"We just want to go out and compete," NU head coach Keylor Chan said. "We'll see how the game develops from there."
Chan is glad for the chance to play OSU the night before hosting Penn State.
"It will help to play at that level before we play Penn State. The only team we have played who is at that level is Pacific, and we are a much more poised team now."
The Wildcats and the Nittany Lions each sport a 3-1 conference record, so Saturday night's match will determine who moves up in the Big Ten Standings. Overall, Penn State is 9-2.
"The fact is our kids know they can beat Penn State. This should be a good game," Chan said.
All volleyball matches for the month of October will be played on the fieldhouse court behind the main arena at Welsh-Ryan. The heavy flooding that occurred on campus in August caused damage to the main court's hardwood floor, and it is being refurbished.
Match time is 7 p.m. both nights. Temporary bleachers will be brought in for the matches, and all ticket information remains the same.