No. 8 Penn State women’s volleyball began Saturday’s doubleheader with a bang when it swept Holy Cross 3-0 at Rec Hall.

Kaitlyn Hord’s team-high 17 kills lifted the Nittany Lions over the Crusaders 25-5, 25-12, 25-14.

How It Happened

Penn State’s starting lineup featured seniors Kendall White and Tori Gorrell and a young core of sophomores starring Jonni Parker, Gabby Blossom, Serena Gray, Allyson Cathey, and Kaitlyn Hord.

Middle blocker Serena Gray got off to a quick start Saturday morning, tallying six kills in the first set and finishing with 13 total with a hitting percentage of .765. Fellow middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord recorded 17 kills in the match.

Sophomore setter Gabby Blossom racked up a team-high 38 assists in the win over Holy Cross, nearly matching her career-high of 41. She also recorded an ace, a block, and two digs in the match.

Allyson Cathey provided a big boost to the Nittany Lions, posting 10 kills, four digs, and a block. The New Albany, Indiana native struggled a bit last night against Hofstra, finishing with nine kills on .222 hitting.

On the defensive side of the ball, libero Kendall White and right side Jonni Parker finished with 10 and 12 digs, respectively. White also tacked on two service aces.

University of Miami (FL) transfer Sophie Walls and freshmen Lauren Clark, Molly Russell, Emily Oerther, and Gabi Bailey made their debuts for the Nittany Lions when they came off the bench in the second and third sets. Walls served an ace to clinch the second set for Penn State.

Penn State 2, Holy Cross 0

Sophie Walls makes her #PSUVB debut and clinches set two with an ace! pic.twitter.com/uVqTINiLQc

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) August 31, 2019

Player of the Match

Kaitlyn Hord | Middle Blocker

The Lexington, Kentucky native recorded four blocks and two digs in addition to her team-high 17 kills on .727 hitting.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions (2-0) will return to Rec Hall tonight to take on Wichita State at 8 p.m. in the final match of this year’s Penn State Classic tournament.