No. 1 Penn State Wins 100th Consecutive Match; Advances to NCAA Semifinals
Saturday, December 12, 2009 | Volleyball
NCAA Gainesville Regional Most Outstanding Player Megan Hodge turned in a team-high 14 kills on .429 to lead No. 1 Penn State to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22) win against California on Saturday in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in the NCAA Regional Finals.
Penn State (36-0), which has now won an NCAA-record 100 consecutive matches, advances to its eighth NCAA Final Four in program history.
“I thought it was another tough match against a great opponent,” Penn State head coach Russ Rose said. “I feel bad we keep playing Cal every year, but I recognize that when you get near the end of a tournament, the best teams are going to play one another. We feel relieved to get a victory, because they are a great team. They are a great offensive team, play hard all the time and are well-coached.”
Hodge was one of two Nittany Lions to reach double-figure kills, as junior middle blocker Blair Brown recorded 13 kills. Senior setter Alisha Glass dished out a match-high 35 assists, while also adding a match-high 12 digs.
Cal (21-11) was led by Pacific-10 Player of the Year Hana Cutura, who charted a match-high 16 kills, while junior setter Carli Lloyd dished out a team-high 32 assists.
NCAA GAINESVILLE REGIONAL: ALL-REGION TEAM
Most Outstanding Player: Megan Hodge, Penn State
Blair Brown, Penn State
Hana Cutura, Cal
Alisha Glass, Penn State
Elyse Cusack, Florida
Carli Lloyd, Cal
Arielle Wilson, Penn State
END OF REPORT
