Penn State women’s volleyball checks in at No. 5 in the 2019 AVCA Division I Week Four coaches poll, which was released Monday afternoon.

#AVCA Top-25:

1. Stanford
2. Baylor
3. Neb
4. Pitt
5. Penn St
6. Texas
7. Minn
8. Wash
9. BYU
10. Marquette
11. Hawai'i
12. Florida
13. Wisc
14. Creighton
15. Purdue
16. Kentucky
17. Colorado St
18. Utah
19. Mizz
20. Ill
21. Cal
22. Rice
23. Florida St
24. Oregon
25. USC

— AVCA (@AVCAVolleyball) September 23, 2019

The Nittany Lions dropped just one spot from its previous ranking of No. 4, which the team held for two consecutive weeks.

Russ Rose’s program is joined by fellow Big Ten programs including Nebraska (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 7), and Wisconsin (No. 13) in the poll. Pitt jumped over the Nittany Lions, landing at No. 4.

Despite getting swept by then-No. 6 Pitt Friday night, Penn State bounced back with a stunning five-set thriller against the Panthers Sunday afternoon. Right side Jonni Parker led the team with 30 kills in the home-and-home series, while middle blocker Serena Gray totaled a team-high 10 blocks over the weekend.

The Nittany Lions (7-2) will return to Rec Hall Wednesday evening to open Big Ten play against Michigan State at 8 p.m. The match will be broadcast nationally on FS1.

That match against the Spartans will feature a “silent set” to raise awareness for those affected by hearing disorders, coinciding with the International Week of the Deaf.

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— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) September 23, 2019

The promotion will likely be especially meaningful for Parker, who was born with a rare condition that only allows her to hear about 40 percent in her left ear and 45 percent in her right.

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