Penn State women’s volleyball players Izzy Starck and Kennedy Martin were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the association announced Tuesday.

Last season, Starck was named the Freshman of the Year both nationally and in the Big Ten after leading the conference with 1,372 total assists. She was top 15 in the country with 10.89 assists per set.

Starck will have a new outside hitter to set to this season in Kennedy Martin, a transfer from Florida who was a First-Team All-American last season, when she put up 6.28 points per set, good for No. 1 nationally.

Martin joins Starck on the watch list after becoming the third player to transfer to Penn State ahead of the upcoming season with her commitment in early May.

The pair represents two of the four Big Ten players to be named to the watch list, joining UCLA’s Cheridyn Leverette and Maggie Li.

Ten total players were named to the watch list Tuesday, while 20 more will be announced between Wednesday and Thursday.

The Nittany Lions will begin their season at 5 p.m. on August 23 with a match against Creighton in the AVCA First Serve. They will also play Kansas in the event on August 25.

About the Author

Michael Siroty

Michael Siroty is a junior from Westfield, New Jersey, majoring in broadcast journalism. When he isn't writing articles or making TikToks for Onward State, Siroty is probably somewhere talking about college sports. You can contact him to discuss your sushi order or music taste on Instagram and X @msiroty or by email at mfs6682@psu.edu.

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