The fall for Penn State women’s volleyball continues.

Penn State women’s volleyball fell to No. 15 in the latest AVCA Poll released Monday afternoon. The Nittany Lions have now dropped in the rankings for three consecutive weeks after starting the month of September as the No. 5 team in the country.

The Nittany Lions fell in the rankings once again due to their loss against Pitt on Wednesday, despite beating Princeton and Central Michigan in the Penn State Classic last weekend to cap their non-conference season. Along with Penn State, the Big Ten was also represented by No. 1 Nebraska, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 10 Purdue, No. 12 Minnesota, and No. 17 USC.

After starting the 2025 season 2-0, Penn State has struggled since, losing its last four matches against ranked opponents, including two losses at Rec Hall. The defending champs started the season as the No. 2 team in the country and have now fallen to No. 15 due to the ongoing struggles. It also continues to deal with the loss of star setter Izzy Starck, who is no longer part of the team.

Penn State will try to turn around its season when it begins Big Ten play against USC at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 26. It will also take on UCLA at noon on Sunday, September 28.

About the Author

Fernando Martinez

Fernando was a writer for Onward State who majored in broadcast journalism with minors in Spanish and sports studies. During his time on staff, he covered both men’s and women’s volleyball, as well as men’s and women’s soccer. You can follow him on Instagram at fernando9015 or email him at fermtzrdem@gmail.com to see what he is up to today.

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