Sports

‘The Plague’ Director on Harrowing Joel Edgerton Movie

Published

7 months ago

May 15, 2025

Cannes festival director Thierry Frémaux promised that this year’s Un Certain Regard sidebar lineup would be more driven by narrative and genre than years past. Looking at Charlie Polinger‘s feature directing debut “The Plague,” he wasn’t kidding.

This harrowing, 35mm-shot story of pubescent boys tormenting each other at a water polo summer camp doubles as a coming-of-age drama and an adolescent, acne-scarred body-horror nightmare. The 12- and 13-year-olds populating its frames are all afraid of catching an imagined (or not?) contagion — let’s call it puberty — that turns their brains into “mush,” one says, and manifests with psoriasis-like lesions on their bodies. But the words and almost ritualistic humiliations they exchange (think the mocking of speech impediments and centipedes thrown into your bed at night) are even more wounding.

Director Todd Solondz (C), Marie Theres (L) and Ryan Werner attend the after party for the premiere of "Palindromes"

Polinger, an AFI Conservatory grad working with many of his fellow alumni including cinematographer Steven Breckon, based this disturbing and personal film on his own experiences as a kid at an all-boys summer sports camp, culling from his rediscovered journals to write the script. Millennials who came of age in the aughts (“The Plague” is set in summer 2003) will recognize the touchstones, from the period music references to the Capri-Suns everyone seems to be slurping. “I was leaning into the Capri-Sun, into sort of this pre-internet or very early internet age, with the kind of jokes that they make,” Polinger told IndieWire.

Joel Edgerton, who stars as the boys’ generous but out-of-his-depth coach in terms of dealing with unruly and toxic boys, initially received the script from Polinger’s agent and wanted to direct it. “I was like, ‘I really have to direct this one. It’s too special to me.’ He was just really cool about it. We ended up getting on a call. He really related to the themes, the social dynamics of these kids, and bullying, and his own experiences being a 12-year-old boy in Australia. He basically just said, look, I’m happy to produce the film and act in the film, and do anything I can to help get this made.”

Polinger and his casting director Rebecca Dealy (“Hereditary”) looked at thousands of tapes of kids to cast the right ensemble. They landed on “Griffin in Summer” star Everett Blunck as Ben, the hero of this story if there is one, and the seemingly innocent kid through whose eyes we see the film. The kind of kid who will see with his awkward, ruthlessly bullied peer who’s left alone at the cafeteria. They found Kayo Martin, who plays the camp’s freckled top bully Jake who presides over the cool-kids table with imperious authority, off social media. It’s a breakout performance for a young star.

“He felt exactly like the type of bully or character who messes with your head in a way that I feel like I haven’t seen represented in a movie or TV show very often because he’s always very understated,” Polinger said. “You never know if he’s joking or not, and it really kind of gets inside your head. He is so comfortable hanging out with adults all the time and going around New York, going to all the bagel shops and all these places [where Martin does social media pranks], and he does have a certain maturity level that can actually play very uncanny in the situation with other boys.”

There are scenes in “The Plague” that pit the child actors into adult scenarios that are, in real life, likely familiar to them. In one scene, they share sexual fantasies and talk about masturbation from across each other’s bunk beds. Directing children always comes with its own set of challenges, even with parents on set, but Polinger and his team worked with an intimacy coordinator to burrow into these most uncomfortable (but relatable) moments.

“The first day with the intimacy coordinator, we all sat around and we were talking about the scene, and she was coming at it very delicately: ‘Is this something that you guys know about?’ And they were miles ahead of her in terms of what they already knew and the jokes that they were making,” Polinger said. “It was really important to me that we were capturing that age in a real way. [The actors] were very fearless and just excited to dive into it… They were so much more mature than you would imagine.”

In terms of references for the film’s more horror-leaning later stretches, Polinger wanted to combine the feel of 1980s and aughts coming-of-age teen movies with a more genre-oriented sensibility (comparisons to “Black Swan,” eventually, are invited).

“I love those movies about boys, though I often feel like a lot of movies about young boys are either a little more sort of broey hangout or a little more nostalgic, kind of biking-around-the-suburbs type of thing,” he said. Movies like Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade” and Julia Ducournau’s “Raw,” he said, “capture a social dread and vulnerability of your body and something you don’t see as much with boys because it requires a certain vulnerability to be an object of terror in that way… I was even looking at some sort of dread-filled, ‘Shining’ daylight kinds of horror movies, [with] huge imposing spaces.”

Movies about military situations, like Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket,” also came to mind. Even Claire Denis’ “Beau Travail,” which is “such an incredible exploration of masculinity.”

Every rising indie filmmaker these days wants to shoot on film — who doesn’t? — which can be a big upfront non-negotiable from a first-time director. But “The Plague” benefits from that celluloid touch, making the movie like a grainy memory of a bad dream. “It was pretty challenging. We had to find some additional funds to do it. We got a lot of help from Kodak. [It was] definitely hard, and especially with kids and pools and all the other variables that add more time, and having tight days. The film [aspect] just added a whole other wrench into it,” Polinger said, though “The Plague” did shoot during a sweltering summertime when the kid actors were out of school.

Shooting on film, though, he said, “just made it feel magical. We were capturing something that felt timeless and, to me, there’s no comparison. It looks so great to shoot on film, and these kids’ faces and closeups just rendered in such a beautiful way.”

“The Plague” will seek a distributor at Cannes, though Polinger already has wind in his sails with another movie lined up, and at A24: an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” starring Sydney Sweeney. “The Plague,” which Polinger wants to be seen in theaters, would be a smart fit for any distributor looking for a risky genre offering, and one that offers no easy answers about the prickly (and, yes, pimply) perils of adolescence.

“The Plague” premieres at Cannes on Thursday, May 16. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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Women’s track and field begins indoor season at M City Classic

Published

34 minutes ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women’s track and field team turned in 13 performances that ranked on its all-time performers’ list at the season-opening M City Classic on Friday at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse.

First years accounted for 11 of the 13 performances that ranked on St. Olaf’s all-time list at the unscored meet, which included teams from the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and club levels. In addition to the top-10 list performances, senior Ella Landis posted St. Olaf’s lone first-place finish at the meet by winning the one-mile run in 5:17.28.

In her first collegiate meet, first year Evangeline Sappington broke onto the program’s all-time performers’ list in both the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Sappington was the top Division III finisher and was 10th overall in the 200-meter dash (26.84), while also taking second among Division III competitors and 16th overall in the 60-meter dash. Sappington’s time in the 60-meter dash ranks second on the Oles’ all-time list – just four one-hundredths of a second off the record – and her time in the 200-meter dash is fifth.

Sophomore Izzi Jaeckle clocked in with St. Olaf’s No. 4 time in the 60-meter dash by placing 17th (8.10), while first year Ellie Semple also broke onto the list in 10th with a time of 8.28 seconds to finish 27th. Sophomore Logan Paulsen moved up to seventh on the Oles’ list with a sixth-place performance in the shot put (12.48m, 40′ 11 ½”), while first year Abigal Frei cleared 3.26 meters (10′ 8 ¼”) for a No. 5 all-time result and an eighth-place finish.

First years Svea Frantzich and Claire Stein recorded St. Olaf’s No. 8 and No. 10 scores in the pentathlon by finishing seventh (3,005) and eighth (2,993), respectively. Frantzich tied for third in the long jump (5.44m, 17′ 10 ¼”) and was sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.47), which both ranked on St. Olaf’s all-time list. Stein also tied for third in the long jump (5.44m, 10′ 10 ¼”) to highlight her day. First year Annika Walsh was the runner-up in the high jump (1.62m, 5′ 3 ¾”) – fifth all-time – and was seventh in the 60-meter hurdles (9.48) – ninth all-time – as part of a ninth-place finish in the pentathlon (2,881).

St. Olaf will be back in action in 2026 at the Ole Opener at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Tostrud Center.

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Second-Screen Golf Experiences : Player Profiles

Published

1 hour ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

At the 2025 JM Eagle LA Championship, IRCODE debuted Player Profiles, a new LIVE+ capability to bring fans closer to athletes without prompts, QR codes, or static triggers.

In addition to offering an on-site fan experience, IRCODE, as a Technology Partner, introduced an interactive viewer experience for fans at home. When players appeared on-screen, viewers used the IRCODE app to scan their screen and instantly accessed a full, interactive profile for shopping their favorite players’ gear, diving deeper into their stories and learning more about the causes that are meaningful to them.

Player Profiles leverages IRCODE’s patented EXACT Match technology and proprietary computer vision, and applies real-time visual recognition to usher in the next generation of second-screen entertainment.

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Catch Saturday’s Basketball and Indoor Track and Field Action

Published

2 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BEREA, Ohio – Fans can follow or watch Saturday’s Baldwin Wallace University basketball and indoor track and field action via live results, statistics or video.

The men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams open the 2025-26 season when it travels to Cleveland to compete in the Spartan Alumni Holiday Classic hosted by Case Western Reserve University inside the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center at 11:00 a.m.

Live Results:

https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3MlDQcr

FloCollege On Demand Live Video:

https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3KFq6st

The men’s basketball team travels to New Concord for the first game of a men’s and women’s Ohio Athletic Conference and Hoops for Hunger Food Drive doubleheader against Muskingum University on Performance Court inside the Anne C. Steele Center at 1:00 p.m. Fans can receive free admission to the game with a donation of canned food, a non-perishable item, or a monetary contribution.

Tickets:

https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3WGuwll

Live Statistics:

https://bwyellowjackets.cc/493Gehq

FloCollege On Demand Live Video:

https://flosports.link/47hSw2V

The No. 21 nationally ranked women’s basketball team travels to New Concord for the second game of a women’s and men’s Ohio Athletic Conference and Hoops for Hunger Food Drive doubleheader against Muskingum University on Performance Court inside the Anne C. Steele Center at 4:00 p.m. Fans can receive free admission to the game with a donation of canned food, a non-perishable item, or a monetary contribution.

Tickets:

https://bwyellowjackets.cc/3WGuwll

Live Statistics:

https://bwyellowjackets.cc/49Ist7Q

FloCollege On Demand Live Video:

https://flosports.link/4qu1Fyr

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2025 DII women’s volleyball championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

Published

2 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Here’s everything you need to know leading up to the first round of the 2025 DII women’s volleyball championship.

The championship bracket was revealed during a selection show on Monday, Nov. 24, live streamed here on NCAA.com. Twenty-three teams earned automatic qualification, with the remaining 41 teams selected at-large by the Division II Women’s Volleyball Committee. Teams from each of the eight regional sites received initial seeds Nos. 1-8.

🏆 Watch live: 2025 DII women’s volleyball championship rounds

2025 DII women’s volleyball championship bracket

Click or tap here for the 2025 interactive bracket

2025 NCAA DII women’s volleyball schedule

Regionals: Dec. 4-6
Quarterfinals: Thursday, Dec. 11
Semifinals: Friday, Dec. 12
National Championship: Saturday, Dec. 13

Selection show: 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, November 24
Regionals: Dec. 4-6
- Thursday, Dec. 4
  - No. 3 Indiana (Pennsylvania) 3, No. 6 Fairmont State 0
  - No. 3 Anderson (South Carolina) 3, No. 6 Augusta 1
  - No. 3 Lynn 3, No. 6 UAH 2
  - No. 6 Washburn 3, No. 3 Wayne State (Nebraska) 0
  - No. 3 Mercy 3, No. 6 Molloy 2
  - No. 2 East Stroudsburg 3, No. 7 Charleston (West Virginia) 0
  - No. 3 Ferris State 3, No. 6 Quincy 2
  - No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne 3, No. 7 Lander 1
  - No. 7 Colorado Sch. of Mines 3, No. 2 UCCS 2
  - No. 3 Fresno Pacific 3, No. 6 Western Washington 0
  - No. 2 Barry 3, No. 7 Eckerd 0
  - No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul 3, No. 7 Central Oklahoma 0
  - No. 7 Holy Family 3, No. 2 Adelphi 2
  - No. 7 Rockhurst 3, No. 2 Ohio Dominican 0
  - No. 3 Angelo State 3, No. 6 Lubbock Christian 1
  - No. 5 Flagler 3, No. 4 Carson-Newman 1
  - No. 1 Gannon 3, No. 8 Fayetteville State 0
  - No. 7 Central Washington 3, No. 2 Simon Fraser 2
  - No. 1 Tampa 3, No. 8 Spring Hill 0
  - No. 8 UIndy 3, No. 1 Missouri-State Louis 2
  - No. 4 St. Cloud St. 3, No. 5 Missouri Western 1
  - No. 1 Bentley 3, No. 8 Bridgeport 1
  - No. 1 MSU Denver 3, No. 8 Colorado Mesa 0
  - No. 4 Pitt.-Johnstown 4, No. 5 Shepherd 0
  - No. 4 West Florida 3, No. 5 Palm Beach Atl. 2
  - No. 1 Wingate 3, No. 8 Emmanuel (Georgia) 1
  - No. 1 Point Loma 3, No. 8 CSUSB 2
  - No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney 3, No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist 2
  - No. 5 Post 3, No. 4 American Int’l 1
  - No. 5 Findlay 3, No. 4 Wayne State (Michigan) 2
  - No. 4 West Tex. A&M 3, No. 5 CSU Pueblo 1
  - No. 5 Alas. Fairbanks 3, No. 4 Alas. Anchorage 0
- Friday, Dec. 5
  - No. 2 Barry 3, No. 3 Lynn 0
  - No. 3 Indiana (PA) 3, No. 2 East Stroudsburg 1
  - No. 3 Anderson (SC) 3, No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne 1
  - No. 3 Mercy 3, No. 7 Holy Family 1
  - No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul 3, No. 6 Washburn 0
  - No. 3 Ferris State 3, No. 7 Rockhurst 0
  - No. 3 Angelo State 3, No. 7 Colorado Sch. of Mines 0
  - No. 1 Bentley 3, No. 5 Post 1
  - No. 3 Fresno Pacific 3, No. 7 Central Washington 2
  - No. 1 Gannon 3, No. 4 Pitt.-Johnstown 1
  - No. 1 Tampa 3, No. 4 West Florida 1
  - No. 1 Wingate 3, No. 5 Flagler 1
  - No. 8 UIndy 3, No. 5 Findlay 1
  - No. 4 St. Cloud State 3, No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney 1
  - No. 1 MSU Denver 3, No. 4 West Tex. A&M 1
  - No. 1 Point Loma 3, No. 5 Alas. Fairbanks 1

NCAA DII women’s volleyball championship history

Here is the full list of champions and runners-up since 1981:

Year	Champion (Record)	Coach	Score	Runner-Up	Site
2024	Lynn (33-3)	Adam Milewski	3-2	San Francisco St.	Sioux Falls, SD
2023	Cal State LA (24-10)	Juan Figueroa	3-1	West Texas A&M	Moon Township, PA
2022	West Texas A&M (33-4)	Kendra Potts	3-1	Concordia-St. Paul	Seattle, Wash.
2021	Tampa (34-2)	Chris Catanach	3-0	Washburn	Tampa, FL.
2020	Canceled due to Covid-19	—	—	—	—
2019	Cal State San Bernardino (33-0)	Kim Cherniss	3-1	Nebraska-Kearney	Denver, Co.
2018	Tampa (33-4)	Chris Catanach	3-2	Western Washington	Pittsburgh, Pa.
2017	Concordia-St. Paul (34-3)	Brady Starkey	3-0	Florida Southern	Pensacola, Fla.
2016	Concordia-St. Paul (32-4)	Brady Starkey	3-0	Alaska Anchorage	Sioux Falls, S.D.
2015	Wheeling Jesuit (39-4)	Christy Benner	3-0	Palm Beach Atlantic	Tampa, Fla.
2014	Tampa (33-1)	Chris Catanach	3-0	S’west Minnesota State	Louisville, Ky.
2013	Concordia-St. Paul (35-3)	Brady Starkey	3-0	BYU-Hawaii	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
2012	Concordia-St. Paul (34-4)	Brady Starkey	3-2	Tampa	Pensacola, Fla.
2011	Concordia-St. Paul (34-2)	Brady Starkey	3-0	Cal State San Bernardino	Cal State San Bernardino
2010	Concordia-St. Paul (32-4)	Brady Starkey	3-1	Tampa	Louisville, Ky.
2009	Concordia-St. Paul (37-0)	Brady Starkey	3-0	West Texas A&M	Concordia-St. Paul
2008	Concordia-St. Paul (37-1)	Brady Starkey	3-2	Cal State San Bernardino	Concordia-St. Paul
2007	Concordia-St. Paul (36-4)	Brady Starkey	3-1	Western Washington	Washburn
2006	Tampa (35-1)	Chris Catanach	3-1	North Alabama	West Florida
2005	Grand Valley State (32-1)	Deanne Scanlon	3-1	Nebraska-Kearney	Nebraska-Kearney
2004	Barry (34-1)	Dave Nichols	3-1	Truman	Barry
2003	North Alabama (33-7)	Matt Peck	3-0	Concordia-St. Paul	Cal State San Bernardino
2002	BYU-Hawaii (27-2)	Wilfred Navalta	3-0	Truman	West Texas A&M
2001	Barry (32-2)	Dave Nichols	3-0	South Dakota State	Grand Valley State
2000	Hawaii Pacific (28-0)	Tita Ahuna	3-0	Augustana (S.D.)	Augustana (S.D.)
1999	BYU-Hawaii (30-2)	Wilfred Navalta	3-0	Tampa	Battle Creek, Mich.
1998	Hawaii Pacific (31-5)	Tita Ahuna	3-1	North Dakota State	Kissimmee, Fla.
1997	West Texas A&M (37-1)	Debbie Hendricks	3-2	Barry	Cal State Bakersfield
1996	Nebraska-Omaha (35-2)	Rose Shires	3-2	Tampa	Central Missouri
1995	Barry (34-2)	Leonid Yelin	3-1	Northern Michigan	Barry
1994	Northern Michigan (32-4)	Mark Rosen	3-1	Cal State Bakersfield	Cal State Bakersfield
1993	Northern Michigan (38-1)	Jim Moore	3-1	Cal State Bakersfield	Northern Michigan
1992	Portland State (36-1)	Jeff Mozzochi	3-2	Northern Michigan	Portland State
1991	West Texas A&M (36-2)	Jim Giacomazzi	3-0	Portland State	West Texas A&M
1990	West Texas A&M (38-1)	Kim Hudson	3-0	North Dakota State	Cal State Bakersfield
1989	Cal State Bakersfield (21-15)	David Rubio	3-0	Sacramento State	Cal State Bakersfield
1988	Portland State (36-5)	Jeff Mozzochi	3-0	Cal State Northridge	North Dakota State
1987	Cal State Northridge (35-6)	Walt Ker	3-2	Central Missouri	Nebraska-Omaha
1986	UC Riverside (29-7)	Sue Gozansky	3-0	Cal State Northridge	Sacramento State
1985	Portland State (36-5)	Jeff Mozzochi	3-1	Cal State Northridge	Portland State
1984	Portland State (33-4)	Jeff Mozzochi	3-0	Cal State Northridge	Portland State
1983	Cal State Northridge (30- 6)	Walt Ker	3-2	Portland State	Florida Southern
1982	UC Riverside (31-5)	Sue Gozansky	3-0	Cal State Northridge	Cal State Northridge
1981	Sacramento State (28-6)	Debby Colbery	3-0	Lewis	UC Riverside

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Cal Poly Stuns USC and Advances to Seventh Sweet-16 in Program History

Published

3 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LOS ANGELES — After months of preparation, Cal Poly’s historic Friday night culminated in a stunning five-set upset of fourth-seeded USC (25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7), shattering every perfect bracket along the way.

The unseeded Mustangs (27-7) not only advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time since 2007, the seventh such appearance in program history, but also became the only team in the bracket to defeat two seeded opponents ranked lower than No. 6. Cal Poly’s last deep runs came in 2007, 1989, ‘87, ‘85, ‘84, and ‘82.

In a departure from their typical all-court offense, the Mustangs leaned on their pin hitters to secure a second straight ranked victory. Leading the charge was Emma Fredrick, who delivered a statement double-double with match-highs of 17 kills and 17 digs. Kendall Beshear and Annabelle Thalken followed with 12 kills apiece, with Beshear adding a pair of aces.

Freshman middle Charlotte Kelly anchored the net with a career-high seven block assists, part of a 10-block team effort that quieted USC’s top-50 offense to a .237 hitting percentage. Beshear (14 digs) and setter Emme Bullis (44 assists, 12 digs) also recorded double-doubles, helping limit USC’s top hitters, Leah Ford and London Wijay, to 19 kills on 55 swings.

Cal Poly stormed through the opening set behind relentless blocking, forcing an early USC timeout at 11-6. Despite a late Trojan push to narrow the gap to 22-18, a Caroline Walters timeout steadied the Mustangs, who closed out the frame 25-19.

USC responded by edging ahead 15-13 at the second-set media timeout. But after 13 ties and five lead changes, Cal Poly surged late with a 21-18 advantage and never looked back, taking the set 25-20.

The Women of Troy rallied in the third, building their largest lead at 17-12 and holding on to win 25-20. Momentum carried into the fourth, where USC raced ahead to claim it 25-14 and force a deciding fifth set.

In the tiebreaker, Cal Poly’s second of the tournament, the Mustangs broke a 3-3 deadlock with a commanding 12-4 run, sealing the match and their spot in the Third Round.

Now, one of the finest teams in program history, and a standout in recent mid-major volleyball, travels to Lexington to face No. 1 seed and regional host Kentucky.

The NCAA will announce date and time details Saturday evening. Until then, San Luis Obispo’s humble Mustangs have plenty to celebrate.

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No. 8-seed Penn State women’s volleyball defeats USF, advances to second round of NCAA Tournament | Penn State Volleyball News

Published

3 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Penn State was in the Lone Star State on Friday, taking on South Florida in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The teams met in Austin at the Gregory Gymnasium, home of the Texas Longhorns women’s volleyball team.

This wasn’t the first time the Nittany Lions and the Bulls have met; however, it was their first time in tournament play, but the blue and white have a 3-0 record over USF.

Penn State took out the Bulls 3-1 after a tight match with challenges and back-and-forth play to thank for that.

Middle blocker Maggie Mendelson opened up the scoring for the Nittany Lions, and right-side hitter Kennedy Martin went up over the net to make it two.

Outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade got the Bulls their first point of the night and USF’s first point in NCAA tournament play since its last appearance in 2003.

USF kept good coverage in the first set to keep the Nittany Lions at a distance, as well as landing kill after kill, which put it ahead of the Nittany Lions 15-10 halfway through the first set.

The blue and white came back with a crucial ace by libero Gillian Grimes, and Martin sent kills through USF’s defense, which tied the Nittany Lions 16-16. Setter Addie Lyon backed up Grimes and made good digs that kept the ball in play, which allowed the Nittany Lions to get to set point and take the first set 25-23.

Andrade kept the Nittany Lions on their toes, and she was there to give the blue and white a back-and-forth first set.

The second set started off strong for USF with outside hitter Addy Brus adding two kills to the Bulls’ score, both landing in the center of the Nittany Lions’ side of the court. Middle blocker Iyanna Garvin continued to get up over the net, as well, and Laila Ivey delivered a housed block, which shut down Penn State and kept a lead.

A crucial point that would close the gap between USF and Penn State was called a service error on Brus, but after it was challenged by the Bulls, the point was given to them as an ace. This put USF 15-10 halfway through the second set.

The Bulls reached set point 24-12 and took the second set 25-12.

The third set saw the blue and white take control by capitalizing on USF’s errors, getting it ahead of the Bulls. Outside hitter Caroline Jurevicius had a strong kill that gave the Nittany Lions some wiggle room, but that was closed by Ivey with a kill of her own.

Lyon kept racking up assists and setting up her offense for multiple kills to keep up with USF, which led halfway through the third set 16-14.

The Nittany Lions tied with the Bulls, 18-18, after an attack error by Brus. The point was challenged by USF, but the call remained the same after further review.

Penn State reached set point after the point was challenged by USF. Penn State took the third set 25-21.

Penn State continued its string of errors early in the fourth set, which the Bulls used to get a lead early on. Outside hitter Emmi Sellman delivered an important ace that closed a previously narrow gap between the Nittany Lions and the Bulls, and a kill by Jurevicius as well as an attack error by Andrade, tied the teams 10-10.

Penn State advanced to match point after it pulled away late in the fourth set, and took the fourth set 25-19, winning the match and moving on in the NCAA tournament.