UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (November 18, 2023) - Julia Sangiacomo reached double figures in kills for the 19th time in 2023 as No. 14 Penn State (19-8, 13-5 B1G) defeated Northwestern (13-15, 7-11 B1G) by a 25-15, 25-23, 25-22 final this evening inside Rec Hall in University Park, Pa.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Penn State raced out of the gate in set one, scoring four straight points before a Sangiacomo kill got Northwestern on the board, 4-1. The Wildcats pulled back within three on a pair of occasions later on in the frame, but struggled to find their footing as the hosts cruised to a 25-15 victory.
SET 2 | Northwestern looked to flip the script early in set two, jumping out to a 3-1 lead after a tandem block from Leilani Dodson and Alexa Rousseau. Following a Maddy Chinn kill that knotted the score up at 8-8, Penn State ran off three unanswered points to establish an 11-8 edge and force a Wildcat timeout. Kills on back-to-back swings from Averie Hernandez trimmed the deficit to 15-14 before a Nittany Lion block error evened the score at 19-19. Rousseau came up big from the service line, delivering an ace that pushed the 'Cats in front, 23-22, but Penn State responded with the final three points of the frame to close out a 25-23 win.
SET 3 | Sangiacomo and Dodson looked to establish their presence quickly in a must-have third set for Northwestern, teaming up for a block that made it 3-3. Kennedy Hill took over shortly after, teaming up with Hernandez for a block of her own ahead of pelting two kills, the second of which gave the 'Cats a 10-7 advantage. Penn State rallied back, using a 4-0 run to take a 16-15 lead, but Northwestern responded, with a Hernandez kill sparking a 3-0 spurt that sent the Wildcats back on top, 18-16. Sangiacomo's 10th kill of the evening pulled Northwestern level at 21-21 late in the frame, before a Rousseau kill again evened things up at 22-22. As was the case in the prior set, Penn State finished with a flurry, rattling off the last three points of the night to close out the match, 25-22.
Game Notes
» Sangiacomo paced the Northwestern attack in the loss with 10 kills.
» Sangiacomo has posted at least 10 kills in 12 of her last 13 appearances.
» Hernandez chipped in eight kills.
» Dodson and Hill were each credited with four blocks.
» Rousseau dished out 30 assists, while Ellie Stinson put up a team-best 12 digs.
» Jess Mruzik finished with a match-high 15 kills for Penn State.
Up Next
Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena next weekend to close out its regular season slate. The Wildcats will entertain Iowa (November 24) and Illinois (November 25) in a pair of 7 p.m. first serves, with Senior Night festivities to follow Saturday's clash with the Fighting Illini.
This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.