Box Score
post match quotes
University Park, Pa. - Senior hitter Megan Hodge posted 13 kills
on a .545 hitting percentage to power No. 1 Penn State (33-0)
over Binghamton (15-16) 3-0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-14) in an NCAA First
Round match in Rec Hall in front of a crowd of 2,922. The two-time
defending national champion Nittany Lions increase their NCAA
record win streak to 97 consecutive matches advance to the second
round on Saturday night to take on Penn.
"We had
a good season," head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. "We were really glad the
way we finished and just to make it here was a big accomplishment
for this team. The girls put a lot of hard work in this season,
and I'm really proud of them."
Binghamton
opened the match with a kill by junior hitter Anna Lejina to take a 1-0 lead.
Following a Penn State point junior Sandra DeVito registered a solo block to give BU
a 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lions then went on a 10-0 spurt to take
a commanding 11-2 advantage. Penn State went on to win the opening
set 25-9 while hitting .360.
The second
set was again knotted at 2-2 before Penn State ripped of a 10-2
run to open up its lead. Penn State took the second 25-13 while
hitting .435.
The Bearcats
were able to hang in for the early stages of the third set against
the hot-hitting Nittany Lions. Penn State hit .739 in the final
set. BU kept it close in the third on a kill by junior hitter
Michelle
McDonough
made the set 10-8 and BU was again later to get within two at
11-9, and 12-10 before Penn State went on a 7-2 run to get some
separation.
McDonough paced
Binghamton with a team-high nine kills and Lejina chipped in
with five kills and four digs. Junior setter Lindsey Mueller gave out 16 assists
and four digs.
For Penn State,
junior middle Arielle Wilson had 12 kills while hitting on a
.800 percentage and senior setter Alisha Glass had 32 assists,
four kills and five digs.
Notes: Binghamton captured
an NCAA Automatic Berth by winning the America East Conference
Championship on Nov. 21 ... Binghamton's only other NCAA appearance
was in 2005, also against Penn State