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UNIVERSITY PARK - Attack errors and service errors proved costly for No. 9 Penn State women's volleyball in a 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20) loss to No. 16 Tennessee in front of more than 4,000 fans Sunday at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions dropped to 8-2 as their five-match winning stream came to an end. The Volunteers upped their record to 9-1 with their fourth-straight win. The non-conference match marked the end of the three-day Penn State Classic.
Penn State had 22 attack errors over four sets, only half of which were credited with a Tennessee block. The Nittany Lions added 13 service errors.
Kennedy Martin and Gabrielle Nichols were named to the All-Tournament Team for Penn State, which opened the event with a 3-0 sweep over South Florida on Friday. Martin hit .381 with 20 kills, eight digs, and two blocks against Tennessee. Nichols hit .467 with nine kills and three blocks.
Alexis Stucky recorded her third double-double of the season for the Nittany Lions, posting 38 assists and 12 digs. Her did total was the second most on the team, finishing behind Ava Falduto's 15. Ryla Jones had a big match both offensively and defensively, hitting .333 with 10 kills and eight blocks.
Kennedi Rogers did the heavy lifting for Tennessee, recording a double-double with a match-high 21 kills in addition to 10 digs. Caroline Kerr also reached a double-double with 42 assists and 10 digs.
Set 1
Jalyn Stout and Rogers combined for 11 kills to lead Tennessee to a 25-19 win in set one. The Volunteers used a 4-0 run to go up 9-6 and led for the remainder of the set. Martin totaled five kills on eight swings in a losing effort for Penn State.
Set 2
Penn State led 21-16 in set two, but Tennessee scored nine of the final 11 points to get the win and go up 2-0 in the match. The Volunteers got within one at 22-21 following a 3-0 run. Nichols helped put an end to the run with a kill to put the Nittany Lions back up two at 23-21. The Volunteers responded with the final four points to take the set. The final point came on a block by Rogers and Chelsea Sutton.
Set 3
Jones came alive in set three, hitting .500 with four kills and five blocks to lead Penn State to a 25-20 win. Martin totaled five kills and no errors on nine attacks. Falduto did her part with five digs. This time the Nittany Lions closed strong. They led 20-18 before scoring five of the final seven points. Martin had two kills during that stretch, while Haley Burgdorf recorded a kill for set point.
Set 4
It was all Rogers in set four as she hit .333 with nine kills and three digs in Tennessee's 25-20 win. That helped the Volunteers overcome six kills by Martin. Penn State again gave up a sizable lead, although this time it was early. The Nittany Lions went up 7-2 after back-to-back kills from Jones and Martin. Tennessee fought back immediately and took the lead at 11-10 with a kill by Maggie Dostic. Penn State responded with a kill by Martin to tie the score, but the Volunteers then went on a 7-0 run to easily take control of the set and the match. The final point was later scored on a kill by Dostic.
Career Highs
Haley Burgdorf - assists (2), blocks (5)
Up Next
Penn State opens Big Ten play on the road as it travels to Ann Arbor to play Michigan on Friday and to East Lansing to play Michigan State on Sunday.