Penn State Dynasty: 4th Straight NCAA Title

Bill Kauffman
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: bill.kauffman@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 18, 2010) – Penn State University’s volleyball dynasty remained intact as the Nittany Lions captured their fourth consecutive NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship by defeating University of California-Berkeley 25-20, 27-25, 25-20 in front of 14,032 fans on Saturday evening at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

The No. 4 Nittany Lions (32-6), the first NCAA Division I school to win three straight women’s volleyball titles when it accomplished the feat in 2009, have now won 24 consecutive NCAA postseason matches. Penn State’s four-year senior class that includes Blair Brown, Arielle Wilson and Alyssa D’Errico has ended each of their four seasons with a national title.

Cal (30-4), seeded No. 7 in the tournament, has now had its last four seasons end with losses to Penn State in the postseason. In 2008 and 2009, the Nittany Lions defeated the Golden Bears in the regional final. Penn State also defeated Cal in the 2007 national semifinals, the Golden Bears first-ever trip to the national semifinals.

Penn State pulled away from Cal in the opening set with a 3-0 run establishing a 16-12 advantage, then rolled to the 25-20 set victory. The first set was Cal’s first loss in the 2010 NCAA postseason. The Nittany Lions rallied from a 14-10 deficit in the second set by using a 5-0 run to take a 19-17 lead. However, Penn State needed to save two set points after Cal rallied to take a 24-23 lead. Brown scored the final two points of the second set for a 27-25 Nittany Lion. Penn State recovered from a 12-9 deficit in the third set with an 8-0 run, including three aces from Ali Longo, to win the title with a 25-20 victory. Brown scored eight kills in the third set to cap her collegiate career.

With the title, Penn State Head Coach Russ Rose is now the first NCAA Division I coach to win five NCAA titles (1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010). In addition, he now has 1,033-career victories.

The Nittany Lions won their fourth straight NCAA title despite the loss of three-time champions Alisha Glass and Megan Hodge from the 2009 team. Both are currently starring for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team and playing professional volleyball.

Penn State matched the four-peat championship turned in earlier this year in NCAA Division II and NAIA. Concordia University-St. Paul won its fourth consecutive NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship, while Fresno Pacific University captured the NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship for the fourth time in as many years.

Brown paced Penn State to its fourth straight title with a team-high 18 kills – including eight kills in the third set – to go with 10 digs and four block assists on defense. Deja McClendon, the AVCA Division I National Freshman of the year and the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player becoming only the second freshman to earn the award, scored 16 kills for Penn State in the victory. Wilson chipped in 12 kills with a .391 attack efficiency, while Katie Slay provide a team-high six block assists and a block solo. Ariel Scott added seven kills for the Nittany Lions, while D’Errico charted a team-high 13 digs to go with an ace from her libero position. Kristen Carpenter was credited with 46 assists as she led Penn State to a .276 hitting efficiency.

Tarah Murrey led Cal with 16 kills on 56 swings, along with two block assists and an ace. Adrienne Gehan totaled seven kills with two block assists. Carli Lloyd, the AVCA Division I National Player of the Year, turned in a double-double of 33 assists and 11 digs to go with three block assists and two kills. Shannon Hawari contributed six kills on 16 errorless attacks, five block assists and a block solo in the loss. Robin Rostratter served two aces to go with 16 digs for the Golden Bears.

Penn State held Cal to a .182 hitting efficiency. The Nittany Lions managed a 4-3 margin in aces and 52-45 advantage in digs. Cal’s block recorded a 11-8 team block advantage.

Penn State scored three straight points to take a 3-1 lead in the early stages of the opening set. Cal came back to tie the set at 4-all. However, Scott took an overpass to yield a 6-4 Penn State lead. Penn State stretched the lead to 10-6 with a Cal error and Nittany Lion block. McClendon slammed consecutive kills to push Penn State into a 12-7 advantage going into a Cal timeout. Murrey and Hawari put up blocks around a Penn State attack outside the antenna to close the gap to 12-11. Penn State used a 3-0 run capped by a D’Errico ace to take a 16-12 advantage. The Golden Bears closed to within one at 16-15 with a Gehan kill and Penn State attack error. Penn State jumped its lead back to four points at 19-15 with three straight points and two Golden Bear errors. Penn State scored the final two points of the set with kills from Scott and Brown, her fifth of the set, to win 25-20. Cal had not lost a set in the 2010 NCAA postseason.

After trading the first 18 points of the second set, Murrey powered down a kill and ace to yield a 11-9 Cal advantage. Johnson hit a kill down the line and Penn State hit long to stretch the Golden Bear to 14-10. Wilson and Brown connected for consecutive kills to slice the gap to 14-12. The Nittany Lions closed to one at 15-14 with a Wilson kill and Slay block However, Lloyd dumped on second contact to put Cal in front 17-14. Brown and Slay combined for a block and McClendon killed off the Cal block to tie the set at 17-all. After a Cal timeout, Slay and Brown combined for another block to give the Nittany Lions an 18-17 lead, which was followed by a Cal attack error and Golden Bear timeout when down 19-17. Cal tied the set at 20-all following a Murrey block. Cal earned the lead back at 24-23 with a Lloyd block. Penn State saved its second set point with a Slay block, then took the lead at 26-25 with a Brown kill. The Nittany Lions won the set on their first opportunity with a Brown kill at 27-25.

Cal took a 7-4 lead in the third set with consecutive service winners by Robin Rostratter. Lloyd and Brown combined for a block to extend the Golden Bear lead to 10-6 prompting a Penn State timeout. Penn State sliced the deficit to one at 10-9 with consecutive Brown kills and a Golden Bear attack error. Cal returned to a three-point cushion with a block and Penn State attack error at 12-9. McClendon and Brown cranked consecutive kills and Ali Longo served an ace to tie the set at 12-all. Scott fired a kill down the line to prompt Cal to call timeout down 13-12 after giving up four straight points. Out of the break, Penn State scored a fifth and sixth straight point with a Brown tip over the block and Longo ace at 15-12. Brown rolled a shot over the block and Longo served a third ace as part of the 8-0 run to give the Nittany Lions a 17-12 advantage. Cal scored consecutive points thanks to a Hawari and Gehan combined block to close to 18-15. Wilson and McClendon each turned in consecutive kills to lift Penn State in front 23-16. Cal saved three championship match points, but Slay slammed an overpass for the title at 25-20 on her first kill of the match.

NOTES
Cal had not lost a single set in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship heading into the title match, but lost all three sets to Penn State.

Cal Head Coach Rich Feller was named the 2010 AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year, while Golden Bear setter Carli Lloyd was selected as the AVCA Division I National Player of the Year.

Penn State defeated Texas in the 2009 NCAA Division I title match after coming back from two sets down to become the first school to win three consecutive national titles in NCAA Division I history. Penn State defeated Stanford in the title match in 1999, 2007 and 2008.

Cal scored the first point of all three sets.

Penn State improved to 5-3 in title matches. In additions to their wins in 1999 and 2007-10, the Nittany Lions lost in the 1993, 1997 and 1998 finals.

Tags: Alisha Glass, college, college volleyball, Megan Hodge, NCAA