Riding high after its midweek win over No. 15 Wisconsin, the Northwestern volleyball team’s plan to beat two ranked teams in one week was brought to an abrupt end Friday night.
No. 9 Penn State (18-2, 8-1 Big Ten) swept NU 3-0 in a match in State College, Pa., and showed the Wildcats (13-9, 6-4) that they have more work to do if they want to compete at the top level.
“We can’t keep riding the wind,” sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Pavlik said. “And I think that’s what we did.”
NU began the weekend in second place in the conference but is now tied with Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State for third.
One of the most consistent aspects of NU’s play, blocking, seemed to be absent on Friday as the Nittany Lions outblocked the Cats 16 to four. NU junior middle blocker Erika Lange, the Big Ten blocks-per-game leader heading into the match, couldn’t come up with a single block.
Penn State further dominated at the net, racking up 18 block assists and holding NU to only two.
“If your blocking is good, it demoralizes the other team,” Pavlik said. “If you block well, the rest of the team funnels the correct way.”
Lange led the Cats in kills during the match. Her 12 kills was the most of any player. Also adding to the Cats’ total kills were senior middle blocker Sarah Ballog, with 11, and junior outside hitter Iwona Lodzik, who notched nine.
Despite the decent number of kills during the match, the Cats posted low hitting percentages in all three games, never breaking the .200 mark. For the match, the Nittany Lions’ .284 easily beat the Cats’ .175.
“Penn State is a smart-hitting team,” Lange said. “They know how to place the ball and they cover well.”
Adding to NU’s inability to come from behind was its serving. In what is usually a solid part of their offense, the Cats committed 14 service errors compared to only five service aces.
“It’s frustrating to work so hard for a sideout and then to miss a serve,” Pavlik said. “It’s a lot to do about nothing.”
Although NU lost, sophomore setter Drew Robertson turned in a standout performance, posting 38 set assists, 10 digs and a career-high six kills. She also earned a .556 hitting percentage for the match.
The large turnout at Penn State’s Rec Hall — just shy of 2,000 spectators — may have put the Cats’ nerves on edge, contributing to the loss.
“Penn State, in general, has a different aura,” Pavlik said. “They don’t have the meanest fans, but they still get a lot more people out there than we do.”
But NU is ready to begin its second round of Big Ten matches this weekend and is eager to put the Penn State loss behind them.
“I don’t think our confidence was shaken,” Lange said. “But we need to find a better level of consistency. We have the talent and drive, but we need to put it together.”
NU’s win over Wisconsin proved it can beat the best in the country, and Pavlik knows the Cats can do it again. They have a few days off after Friday’s match to refocus.
“We have a legitimate chance to win against ranked teams and a chance to win the Big Ten,” Pavlik said. “We’re glad to have had this time to regroup and give our legs a chance to rest.”
NU 0
Penn St 3
