Winning for a Legend: Penn State Sweeps Invitational, Honors Rose

Penn State Invitational

• State College, Pennsylvania
• Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2018

In a weekend selected to celebrate 40 seasons with head coach Russ Rose at the helm of Penn State volleyball, the Nittany Lions did their best to honor his legacy of winning, posting a pair of sweeps en route to the Penn State Invitational title.

More than 60 former players returned for the festivities and former assistant coach Steve Aird had his Indiana Hoosiers in the tournament as well.

40 years of @PennStateVBALL in one pic…thank you Russ (and Lori) …this is your legacy! pic.twitter.com/pzfD2InCcr

— Varsity S Penn State (@PSUVarsityS) September 2, 2018

Texas A&M also picked up two wins, sweeping Indiana and Temple, but fell to the Nittany Lions in the tournament finale.

The Results

Friday

Texas A&M def. Indiana 3-0

• Box Score
• Texas A&M Recap / Indiana Recap

Penn State def. Temple 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22)

• Box Score
• Penn State Recap / Temple Recap

Saturday

Texas A&M def. Temple 3-0

• Box Score
• Texas A&M Recap / Temple Recap

Indiana def. Temple 3-2

• Box Score
• Indiana Recap / Temple Recap

Penn State def. Texas A&M 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-22)

• Box Score
• Penn State Recap / Texas A&M Recap

The Awards

Penn State Invitational All-Tournament Team
Bryanna Weiskircher – PSU – MVP
Serena Gray – PSU
Kaitlyn Hord – PSU
Hollann Hans – TAMU
Camille Conner – TAMU
Katerina Papazoglou – Temple
Breana Edwards – IU
Bayli Lebo – IU

Notables

• Although Penn State (5-0) won via sweep twice, it was not without a fight from its foes.
  • The Nittany Lions had to come from behind in the final two sets against Temple. In Set 2, PSU overcame a 17-13 deficit and trailed as late as 20-18. In Set 3, the Owls went up 8-3 early and led by as many as six at 19-13, before succumbing to the No. 9 team in the nation.
• Blocking prowess led the way for Penn State as the team hit under .300 in both matches. PSU put up 11 stuffs to stifle Texas A&M and nine against Temple, while allowing 11 total. The team also outserved its foes 13-5.
• Temple’s Katerina Papazoglou had a breakout match, leading the Owls with a 17-kill, 27-dig double-double in the five-set loss to Indiana. It was the second of the season for the Thessaloniki, Greece, native.
• Indiana piled up 19 blocks in the win over Temple, the team’s fourth double-digit effort in five matches this year. Deyshia Lofton put up a team-high nine stuffs, while Lexi Johnson and Hayden Huybers added eight apiece.