University Park, Pa. — The four-time defending national champion Penn State women’s volleyball released its 2011 schedule Thursday. The Nittany Lions are set to play in 30 regular season matches, including four preseason tournaments, and make 15 appearances at Rec Hall.
Highlighting the 2011 schedule are matches against 12 teams that competed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, including 10 teams ranked in the final AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions will face national semifinalists Texas and USC, regional finalists Purdue and Stanford and regional semifinalists Florida, Illinois, Ohio State, Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska. Penn State will also take on NCAA Tournament participants Northwestern and Michigan.
The Nittany Lions own a 479-113 (.809) record against its 2011 opponents. Penn State has also secured a 353-47 (.883) record in Big Ten play since joining the league in 1991.
The Lions open the 2011 slate with the AVCA Showcase at home in Rec Hall on Aug. 26-27. Penn State hosts Oregon on Friday, Aug. 26 and USC on Saturday. Minnesota will also be in attendance, challenging both USC and Oregon.
The squad hits the road for two straight weekends, stopping first in Pittsburgh for matches with Miami (Ohio), Pittsburgh and New Hampshire on Sept. 2-3. The Nittany Lions travel to Palo Alto, Calif. to take on Stanford on Sept. 9 in the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic. Penn State will face the winner of the Florida/Texas match on Sept. 10.
Penn State closes out the preseason at home with the Penn State Classic on Sept. 16-17. The Lions welcome Long Island University, Rutgers and Florida Gulf Coast to Rec Hall.
PSU begins Big Ten play at Nebraska on Sept. 21 before heading to Iowa Saturday, Sept. 24. The Nittany Lions welcome the Badgers of Wisconsin to Rec Hall on Sept. 30 for the team’s home opener.
Head coach Russ Rose, in his 33rd season at the helm of the Penn State program, welcomes the return of four starters from the 2010 National Championship team, including AVCA Division I National Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-American Deja McClendon (Louisville, Ky.) and NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team member Kristin Carpenter (Mechanicsville, Va.). The 2010 squad finished with a 32-5 record and secured its 14th overall and eighth straight Big Ten Championship. The Nittany Lions also welcome back seniors Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.) and Megan Shifflett (Falls Church, Va.), junior Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) and Marika Racibarskas (Chatham, N.J.), sophomores Ariel Scott (Ridgewood, N.J.), Maddie Martin (Tampa, Fla.), Katie Slay (Raleigh, N.C.), Krosby Pabst (Long Beach, Calif.) and Ali Longo (Littleton, Colo.) and redshirt freshmen Erica Denney (Aurora, Colo.) and Maggie Harding (State College, Pa.).
The Nittany Lions boast the addition of five freshmen to this year’s squad, including 5-6 libero Dominique Gonzalez (San Antonio, Texas), 6-5 outside hitter Aiyana Whitney (Norwood, N.J.), 6-2 outside hitter Nia Grant (Warren, Ohio), 5-6 libero Lacey Fuller (San Diego, Calif.) and 5-11 setter/outside hitter Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.).