Penn State moved up one spot from its previous ranking of No. 8, which the team had held for three consecutive weeks.
The Nittany Lions haven't received votes in the AP Top 25 poll since February 2018.
Early second-half goals from Aaron Molloy and Kyle May weren't enough to prevent a Providence comeback.
The Cardinal's rhythmic, possession-based style proved unstoppable against the Nittany Lions, who struggled to find an attacking foothold throughout the match.
The Lady Lions went nearly eight minutes without scoring in the third quarter and blew a 15-point lead.
Tori Gorrell tallied a match-high 12 kills off the bench in the 25-14, 25-19, 25-12 win over the Scarlet Knights at College Avenue Gym.