<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0y4LnU_0wD7Vhse00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0y4LnU_0wD7Vhse00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Penn State libero Gillian Grimes (3) high-fives outside hitter Jess Mruzik (9) after a successful play in the Penn State Invitational against St. John's on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 in Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions beat the Red Flash 3-0. Noah Aberegg</figcaption></figure>Lately, slow starts to matches have plagued No. 3 Penn State.Following a Set 1 loss, the Nittany Lions hung on to remain perfect in conference play after defeating the Buckeyes in five sets (20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 18-25, 16-14) on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio.It was another slow start on the road for the blue and white as it fell in an early 6-0 Set 1 hole. Coming out of its first timeout of the set, Penn State stormed back, cutting the Ohio State advantage to two, 7-5.The Nittany Lions managed to come within one point of the lead, 12-11, but Ohio State strung together back-to-back kills, extending its lead 14-11. Jess Mruzik’s offensive heroics kept the blue and white in the set and, after two kills from the outside hitter, Penn State was within two points of the lead, 15-13.Beginning to run away with Set 1, Ohio State held a 21-16 advantage, coming within four points of the 25 needed to win. The Nittany Lions never recovered from their early deficit as they lost, 25-20, proving how important a quick start is.The Buckeyes carried their success over into the start of Set 2, not allowing Penn State to build any sort of run while taking an 8-4 advantage.After faking a set attempt, Izzy Starck pushed the ball over the net that capped off a 3-0 run, tying Set 2 9-9. Trading blows, the two squads remained knotted up, 12-12.Mruzik continued to carry the Nittany Lions’ offense. The outside hitter’s 10th kill of the match put the blue and white ahead, 14-13, its first lead since early in the set.Stringing together four straight points, Ohio State regained its lead, 20-18, but a kill by Camryn Hannah immediately cut the advantage back to one, 20-19.Mruzik put Penn State ahead, 23-22, after registering another kill, while both teams took Set 2 down to the wire. Following an attacking error and a kill by Emily Londot, the Nittany Lions held set-point, 24-23.Winning Set 2, 25-23, Penn State tied the match, 1-1, after Mruzik’s set-winning kill.The Nittany Lions prevented Ohio State from gaining another early set lead in the match during Set 3 as the score was tied, 7-7.After more back-and-forth play from each squad, the blue and white began to climb away from the Buckeyes with a 15-12 lead. Flying in from the middle of the court, Taylor Trammell swung down a kill to extend Penn State’s advantage, 17-13.Coming closer to a set win, the Nittany Lions held all the momentum as they led, 21-15. The blue and white’s constant pressure from powerful attacks kept the Buckeyes off balance, and it took a 25-16 Set 3 victory.Leading the match score 2-1, Penn State found itself in a situation to potentially escape the Covelli Center in four sets. However, coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley was forced into calling an early timeout as the Nittany Lions fell into a 7-2 Set 4 deficit after poor service reception attempts.After the break, the blue and white cut Ohio State’s lead to three, 9-6, and two service errors from both teams kept the margin at three, 11-8.Gillian Grimes took a rare swing that connected for a kill, highlighting Penn State’s 5-0 run to tie Set 4, 13-13.Errors began to plague the Nittany Lions, and another service error gave the Buckeyes easy points to lead 18-16. The misfires continued for the blue and white as Ohio State led 23-17 late in the set.A kill by Emmi Sellman handed the Buckeyes the Set 4 win, 25-18, pushing the match to a fifth set.Mruzik and Starck recorded key kills that gave Penn State a 4-2 lead in Set 5. However, Ohio State used a 3-1 run to tie the set, 5-5.The back-and-forth point scoring continued with both squads knotted up, 7-7. A kill by Alexa Markley gave the Nittany Lions a slight advantage, 8-7, as the teams switched sides of the court.Markley and Trammell teamed up, blocking an Ohio State attack to put the blue and white ahead, 9-7. An attacking error by the Buckeyes gave Penn State a three-point cushion, 10-7.The Nittany Lions’ lead was short lived as Ohio State clawed back to tie Set 5, 10-10, shifting all momentum toward the Buckeyes with both teams within five points of a win.Ohio State stayed rolling, using a 3-1 run to come two points away from upsetting the No. 3 squad in the country, 13-11.Mruzik didn’t allow the Buckeyes to run away with the set easily after swinging down a kill to cut the lead to one, 13-12. Ava Falduto’s ace forced yet another tie in the match with both teams knotted at 13-13.Hannah gave Penn State a match-point, 15-14, and an attacking error by Ohio State allowed the Nittany Lions to escape with a 16-14 Set 5 win.The Nittany Lions will return to Rec Hall for a match against No. 14 Minnesota at 2 p.m. Sunday.</div></body>

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No. 3 Penn State women’s volleyball defeats Ohio State in five-set thriller

Lately, slow starts to matches have plagued No. 3 Penn State. Following a Set 1 loss, the Nittany Lions hung on to remain perfect in conference play after defeating the Buckeyes in five sets (20-25, 25-23, 25-16, 18-25, 16-14) on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio. It was another slow start...