UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 25 Penn State opens its 45th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament with a first-round match against USF on Friday at Texas’s Gregory Gymnasium. The match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET and will stream on ESPN+.

The winner of Friday’s match advances to play the winner between Texas and Florida A&M in the second round on Saturday.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Dec. 5 | 5:30 p.m. ET
No. 25 Penn State (18-12, 12-8 B1G) vs. USF (17-12, 12-4 AAC) | Live Stats | ESPN+

OPENING NOTES
• Penn State is set to open its 45th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It is the only program in the country to play in all 45 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournaments since the inaugural event in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions received an eight seed in the Austin Region and will play the first and second rounds away from Rec Hall for just the first time since the tournament was expenaded to 64 teams in 1998.
• Friday marks Penn State’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and 13th postseason match under Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who is in her fourth season as Penn State head coach. They are 10-2 in the NCAA Tournament under Schumacher-Cawley after going 6-0 and winning the program’s eighth national title last season.
• The Nittany Lions made it to at least the NCAA Regional Semifinal in each of Schumacher-Cawley’s first three seasons as head coach.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Penn State, which has won eight national titles, including the most recent in 2024, is 116-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Penn State has made the National Semifinals 14 times and the National Championship match 11 times.
• USF and Penn State will meet for the first time in the NCAA Tournament, making the Bulls the 76th different postseason opponent for the Nittany Lions. Just eight of those teams have a winning record against Penn State in the NCAA Tournament.

PENN STATE IN ROUND OF 64
• Penn State is 26-0 in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1998.
• The Lions are 78-3 in sets played during that stretch, dropping one set to Howard in 2017, one to Towson in 2021, and one to Yale last season.
• Rec Hall was the venue for 24 of the 26 matches.
• Penn State is 3-0 in the Round of 64 under Schumacher-Cawley, beating UMBC in 2022, Yale in 2023, and Delaware State in 2024.

HOW THEY GOT HERE – PENN STATE
• Penn State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 18-12 overall and 12-8 in the Big Ten.
• The Nittany Lions are one of 14 teams in the nation with four wins over teams ranked in the top 25 of RPI, beating No. 6 Creighton, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 13 USC, and No. 15 Kansas.
• The Nittany Lions helped secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament with four wins in their final five matches, beating Ohio State (3-2), Michigan State (3-0), Maryland (3-0), and Iowa (3-1).

HOW THEY GOT HERE – USF
• USF received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 17-12 overall and 12-4 in the American Conference on its way to a second-place finish in the conference standings. The Bulls lost to Tulsa in the semifinal round of the American Conference Tournament.
• The Bulls will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. They beat Florida State in the first round that year before falling to Florida in the second round.
• USF’s highest RPI win came in conference play with a sweep over No. 36 Tulsa. The highest non-conference RPI win came in five sets over No. 47 Dayton. They also pushed Purdue to five sets before losing in their season opener.
• Senior outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade was named the American Conference Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She was joined on the all-conference team by sophomore setter Raegan Richardson (first team) and junior outside hitter Laila Ivey (second team).

SERIES HISTORY – USF
• Penn State is 3-0 in the all-time series with USF. The teams first played in 1986.
• The Nittany Lions swept all three matches, winning 3-0 in 1986, 1988, and 2015. All three matches were played in Tampa.
• Penn State and USF have never met in the NCAA Tournament.
• Kennedy Martin is the only player on the Penn State roster that has played against USF. She hit .449 with 27 kills, six blocks, and two aces in Florida’s 3-2 win over the Bulls in 2023.

PENN STATE VS. AMERICAN CONFERENCE
• Penn State is 32-4 all-time against current members of American Conference.
• The Nittany Lions have played eight of the 13 teams in the conference and have a winning record against all eight. They are unbeaten against UAB (1-0), Charlotte (1-0), East Caroline (3-0), Memphis (2-0), Rice (3-0), South Florida (3-0), and Wichita State (1-0).

TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
• Eight Penn State players have combined for 50 matches of NCAA Tournament experience.
• Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley (1999) and assistant coach Megan Hodge Easy (2007, 2008, 2009) combined for four national titles as players at Penn State.

Catherine Burke – 1 match
Ava Falduto – 6 matches
Gillian Grimes – 12 matches
Jordan Hopp – 6 matches (2 Iowa State, 4 Penn State)
Caroline Jurevicius – 6 matches
Kennedy Martin – 5 matches (5 Florida)
Maggie Mendelson – 8 matches (2 Nebraska, 6 Penn State)
Jocelyn Nathan – 6 matches

 The 2025 Penn State women’s volleyball season is presented by Musselman’s.

The Rockets finish the season with a 23-11 record, posting the second-most wins in program history .(1983 – 27 matches)

Sophomore Olivia Heitkamp led the Toledo offense with 11 kills, including five in the first set, for her 19th match this season in double-figures. Redshirt junior Sophie Catalano poured in seven terminations while redshirt sophomore Sierra Pertzborn chipped in six kills of her own.

Senior setter Kelsey Smith tallied 26 assists and a team-high nine digs. Sophomore Grace Freiberger and senior Macy Medors each totaled six digs.

Quoting Head Coach Brian Wright

“We’ve had a pretty special season in the past 11-and-a-half months that I’ve been at Toledo. I am so proud of this team and how they played tonight’s match. This team accomplished many great things this season, from leading the MAC in attendance, to winning their first MAC Tournament championship and playing in their first NCAA Tournament match. I want the team to understand that they are enough and capable to compete with the best teams and programs in this country.”

Senior Anna Alford

(on the 2025 season)

“This group has made Toledo history and it’s been such a great season. We’ve been working so hard for the past 11-and-a-half months and we just wanted a chance to showcase our abilities on the court and the love that this team has for one another.”

Senior Macy Medors

(on the future of the Toledo volleyball program)

“Our program is built on being a family and there is a great atmosphere amongst everyone involved. The younger players will continue that tradition and help Toledo volleyball continue to grow to new heights.”

Key Moments

• Olivia Heitkamp started the match with a kill as the Rockets and Hoosiers traded points early in the first set. Heitkamp’s fifth kill of the set kept it even, 11-11, before two quick points from Indiana gave the Hoosiers a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. A block from Anna Alford and Heitkamp kept UT within four, 22-18, but a quick 3-0 run for the Hoosiers gave them the set win.
• Both sides went back-and-forth to begin the second set before Indiana jumped out to a 7-4 lead. A solo block from Jessica Costlow sent the Rockets on a 3-0 run to even the frame, 9-9. The Hoosiers responded with an 8-2 run of their own to take a seven-point advantage, 19-12. Kills from Heitkamp and Sophie Catalano put UT within five, 19-14, but Indiana took the set win with four-straight points.
• Catalano fired off a kill to give Toledo a lead in the third set, 4-3. A quick 3-0 surge by the Rockets, highlighted by a kill from Sierra Pertzborn and Catalano, kept Toledo ahead, 7-5. Two service aces and two kills from the Hoosiers put IU in front, 12-9, before Heitkamp and Catalano each buried terminations to even the frame, 13-13. Indiana went on a 3-0 run to retake the lead, 17-14. Catalano and Pertzborn combined for a second block to stay within three, 19-16, but the Hoosiers ended the match on a 6-1 run to take the win.

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ERIE, Pa. – Indiana (PA) swept Fairmont St. 25-22, 25-19, 25-20 on Thursday at Highmark Events Center in Erie, Pa., in a neutral non-conference matchup.

Indiana (PA) was led by Charlotte Potvin, who posted 13 kills on a team-high .455 hitting percentage, adding four aces and 17.5 points in the three-set win. Delaney Concannon contributed 16 kills with 22 digs, while setter Ellie Rauch dished 45 assists and recorded two service aces.

Jessica Neiman added 14 kills on .464 hitting, while libero Lexi McLanahan finished with 15 digs. Rylee Brown anchored the front row with one solo block and two block assists, totaling three blocks and 2.0 points.

Indiana (PA) hit .268 for the match with 49 kills and 59 digs.

Fairmont St. saw 33 kills from a balanced attack and 49 digs defensively. Outside hitter Joey Borelle recorded 13 kills and seven digs, while Josie Nobbe totaled 11 digs and four kills. Chloe McDaniel added eight kills and four block assists.

The match featured 14 ties and nine lead changes in the opening set before Indiana pulled away late, scoring two straight points from the service line to close it out.

Indiana (PA) improved to 21-8 on the season, while Fairmont St. fell to 23-11.

• Top-seeded Kentucky volleyball defeated Wofford in three sets to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
• Brooklyn DeLeye led Kentucky with 14 kills during the first-round victory.
• Kentucky will now face No. 8 seed UCLA for a spot in the Sweet 16.

LEXINGTON — Top-seeded Kentucky volleyball defeated Wofford in three sets Thursday night at Historic Memorial Coliseum to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Brooklyn DeLeye led the Wildcats with 14 kills.

“This team especially, our depth, is so strong, and I think that just helps in practice,” DeLeye said after the match. “We’re pushing one another. No spot is guaranteed, and I think that’s truly helped us get to this No. 1 seed.”

UK will battle No. 8 seed UCLA Friday at 7 p.m. for a spot in the Sweet 16. UCLA defeated Georgia Tech in five sets Thursday night. A familiar face in former Louisville and current UCLA middle blocker Phekran Kong will sit across the net.

OMAHA, Neb. — Lily Dykstra, Cassidy Hartman and Reese Booth all posted double-double performances for the UNI volleyball team on Thursday as the Panthers rallied from down two sets to none to stun the Utah Utes in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at D.J. Sokol Arena.

Northern Iowa was unblocked by an 18-4 margin and struggled early out of system in the first two frames, but roared back with a gritty third set win, a fourth set victory thanks to a strong start and a wire-to-wire win in the winner-take-all fifth. The reverse sweep marks the first time UNI has rallied from down 2-0 in an NCAA Tournament match to advance since 2002 against Missouri.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Utah set an early tone with a 6-0 scoring run in the opening frame with a service ace to open the match. The Panthers would struggle offensively with seven attack errors and seven kills on .000 hitting as the Utes tallied a .448 hitting clip with 14 terminations and four blocks en route to a 25-15 win over UNI. Hartman and Isabelle Elliott would record two kills each in the frame.

Northern Iowa would put up a strong fight in the second stanza with 12 kills on .122 hitting. The Panthers used a 4-0 run to tie the set up at 10-10 before the Utes took the lead back with a 3-0 run of its own. UNI would even the score at 18-18 with a 4-0 run on a kill by Molly Shafer, back-to-back aces and a rare termination from Jadyn Petersen, but the Utes, hitting .343 with 12 kills, pulled away for a 25-21 lead and a two-set lead in the match. Dykstra led the Panthers with five kills in the set, with Hartman tallying three terminations.

The Panthers battled the Utes in another tight set in the third frame featuring ten ties and four lead changes. Booth dished out a service ace with Maryn Bixby blocking to give UNI a 9-7 lead as Utah grabbed and held a narrow lead for much of the frame. Northern Iowa would fight back however, led by eight kills from Dykstra and four from Hartman to recapture the lead, survive bonus ball and win the third set, 26-24 on 19 team terminations and .286 hitting.

UNI carried its momentum into set four with a 6-0 scoring run and would lead from start to finish with Dykstra adding an ace for a 9-1 advantage. Utah would chip away at the Panthers’ lead, but a .317 hitting clip by UNI and 19 more team terminations would help push the Panthers across the line, led by eight additional kills from Dykstra and five for Hartman.

In set five, the Panthers continued their momentum with a 5-1 scoring run to begin the decisive frame before Utah closed the gap. Hitting .389 with nine terminations, UNI never relinquished the lead and closed on a 3-0 run, including an ace from Sydney Golden to set up match point with Hartman delivering the winning point for a 15-10 win and the come-from-behind match victory.

Dykstra led the Panthers with career-highs in kills (25) and digs (14), with Hartman notching 19 kills and 11 digs, as Shafer, Bixby and Elliott each tallied six terminations. Booth posted a 32 assist, 11 digs double-double, while Golden notched 18 assists. On defense, Petersen led UNI with 16 digs, as Bixby posted three of the Panthers’ four total blocks on the night.

“I am so proud of this crew,” said UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen. We were a little unsure with this match with so many who haven’t experienced an NCAA Tournament match before. It didn’t look pretty in those first two sets but I felt we never gave up, kept fighting and finding ways to score. They definitely put pressure on us and it was a battle and a fun NCAA Tournament match!”

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• UNI improves to 3-1 all-time against Utah in the first NCAA Tournament matchup between the Panthers and Utes.
• Northern Iowa is now 18-26 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches. Thursday’s win marks the first time the Panthers have won matches in the tournament in consecutive seasons since 2002 and 2003. The win was also UNI’s first over a Big 12 Conference opponent since 2012 (Kansas State).
• The Panthers extended their winning streak on the season to 22 matches, the eighth-longest streak in program history.
• UNI is now 5-5 in five-set matches in the NCAA Tournament with victories in 1999 (Ball State), 2001 (Minnesota), 2002 (Missouri) and 2003 (UC Santa Barbara).
• Lily Dykstra recorded her fourth 20+ kill match of the year on Thursday (Southern Illinois, Drake, UIC). She has also posted at least eight kills in 29 of 31 matches this season, as well as 18 matches with ten or more terminations and her second career double-double, both coming this year.
• Cassidy Hartman notched her 26th match this year with ten-plus terminations with her 14th double-double of the season.
• Reese Booth’s double-double was her ninth of the 2025 season.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will face off against the winner of No. 11 and third-seeded Creighton and Northern Colorado on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country).

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.