UNIVERSITY PARK — The Penn State women’s volleyball team got a harsh dose of reality Sept. 22, losing in three straight sets to Big Ten rival Nebraska.
The loss came in the Lions’ first Big Ten matchup, and coach Russ Rose did his best to accept the blame for the team’s flat performance.
“I didn’t have the team ready to play,” Rose said.
Indeed, the description was apt. Yet it was still surprising to see such a senior-laden team lay an egg in a big match. Simone Lee seemingly served as the lone senior — nay, lone Nittany Lion — to play a “normal” game, and even she was limited to 15 kills for the match.
It was no coincidence, then, that Lee also was the lone player to accompany Rose to the post-game media availability. Lee remained quiet and sullen throughout the session, as Rose repeatedly echoed his opening statement.
Despite her coach’s insistence on taking the blame for her squad, Lee carried the look of a senior who let a match — one of just 20 regular season contests remaining in her career — get away from her.
When asked if he was surprised that a team full of upper classmen could allow themselves to be caught off-guard in such a shocking manner, Rose was non-committal.
“I don’t think I was surprised, but I was disappointed,” Rose said. “I think Nebraska’s serve-pass game was strong tonight, while ours was, frankly, not. It will be up to this team to turn it around quickly.”
Rose was referring to the Sept. 23 match against Iowa, moved to 4 p.m. to accommodate those who wished to save time for the football game against that same opponent. The Nittany Lions rebounded to win the match three sets to one.
Unsurprisingly, Lee led the way again with 22 kills, the third time this season she has eclipsed the 20-kill mark. Unlike the previous night, Lee was joined by Haleigh Washington and Ali Frantti, who added 12 and 10 kills, respectively.
Washington, in particular, needed the rebound. She was invisible the night prior, totaling just six kills. As has been the case over her four years — three as a regular — as Washington goes, so, too, go the Lions.
The team also out-blocked the Hawkeyes, 11-6, while out-digging them at a 60-53 rate.
Out-kill, out-dig and out-block. Those three keys will put a team on the path to winning any match, obviously, but in Rose’s mind, his team can add one more to the list: out-prepare.
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As we mentioned at the top, Big Ten play has begun and the Penn State Nittany Lions will be hosting conference opponents from here on out.
That slate begins with two contests against unranked teams. Illinois will come to Rec Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, while Northwestern visits Penn State at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30.
