Penn State handles business against Princeton in game two sweep

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Playing your second game in 15 hours is not something that is supposed to be easy, but the Penn State Women’s Volleyball team handled it with ease.

The No. 3 ranked blue and white came away with a second consecutive sweep Saturday morning at the Penn State Invitational Tournament over Princeton (25-15, 25-16, 25-21) on the back of Maggie Mendelson’s nine kills and 31 assists from Izzy Starck, including 11 in the final frame.

Penn State rested regular outside hitter Jess Mruzik as she only touched the court in the first set, collecting just one kill and a block prior to her exit as head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley saved her for the nightcap against St. Johns later today.

Starck’s older sister, Angelina, contributed seven kills, swinging .316 and playing through the majority of all three sets alongside Izzy and libero Gillian Grimes.

In a media session earlier this week, Schumacher-Cawley highlighted the value depth would play in this game, stating that “everyone will have their opportunity this weekend to step up and do their job.”

She stayed true to her word, allowing 16 different players to touch the court and contribute to the winning effort. Junior outside hitter Alexa Markley led the effort for the unusual suspects, hitting her way to six kills on 86% from the court.

Senior-plus Jordan Hopp would end the match for the blue and white, sending a shot from the right pin down off an assist by setter Quinn Menger, who came in for Izzy Starck and performed well in limited time during the third set.

Schumacher-Cawley also talked about the importance of playing good defense against this Princeton team led by outside Kamryn Chaney and middle Lucia Scalamandre. Their game preparations paid off as the Nittany Lions held the Tigers to just a 0.092 hitting percentage on the match as the Tigers made 22 attacking errors and were shooting negative before a .344 clip in the final frame.

Chaney would end the game with 12 kills but only shot .146 on 41 attempts with six errors and great defensive play by the frontline for Penn State. Mariah Haislip came on to play during the third set and saw the most efficient success, with the Georgia native collecting four kills on five swings.

Nutakor and Chaney contributed six errors a piece in a match where Princeton shot themselves in the foot at the same rate they scored points, with 31 kills compared to 22 errors. Scalamandre, usually a solid option in the middle, would wind up shooting negatively on the game and never found her rhythm in a match where the Tigers needed her to help them swing momentum.

Penn State had efficiency from the middle and outside as both Markley and Taylor Trammell in the middle would contribute six kills on seven attempts. Trammell did not see action past midway through the second set and will presumably play a large role in tonight’s match against St. Johns.

Princeton’s run in Happy Valley concludes in not-so-happy fashion with their third loss in as many games, but will look to redeem themselves in another three-game tournament at UMBC before opening their home slate with Penn on Sep. 27 in their Ivy League opener.

The blue and white face St. Johns in the final game of the Invitational before a daunting task looms on Wednesday, as they head to Pitt to face the current No. 1 team in the nation.

Jeremy Rose is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jrose0531@gmail.com.