Women’s Volleyball (19-13)
The women’s volleyball team defeated South Florida 3-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before being swept by top-seeded Texas in the second round.
Penn State hit just .197 against South Florida, but Kennedy Martin’s 22 kills and five blocks were enough to push the Nittany Lions past the Bulls in the first round. Texas controlled the second round matchup from the opening serve, outhitting PSU .452 to .124 and outblocking the Lions 9-3.
It was a disappointing season coming off last year’s national
championship, but the offseason will give the Nittany Lions a chance to reset and come back stronger in 2026.
Women’s Basketball (6-3)
The women’s basketball team has suffered its first losing streak of the 2025-26 season with a 101-83 loss to Nebraska and a 74-60 loss to Arizona State.
Penn State led Nebraska at halftime but was outscored 67-45 in the second half to allow the Cornhuskers to run away with the win. Nebraska went 14 for 19 from the floor in the fourth quarter, as the Lions’ defense fell apart in the final 10 minutes. Gracie Merkle (23 points) and Kiyomi McMiller (22) each scored over 20 points, and PSU shot over 60% in the second half as a team, but poor defense plagued Penn State in its first conference loss.
Arizona State held Penn State to just four points in the second quarter to take a stranglehold on the game and eventually pull away for a 74-60 win. The Lady Lions turned it over 36 times while making just 22 field goals in the game. Gracie Merkle again led the team in scoring (17 points), but poor ball security plagued Penn State’s struggling offense.
Penn State will take on South Carolina on the road on Sunday (3:30pm on ESPN) in what should be the toughest test the Lady Lions will face all season.
BONUS: Men’s Soccer Focusing on Rob Dow
Following Jeff Cook’s resignation on November 21, the men’s soccer program is targeting Rob Dow as its next head coach:
Dow led Vermont to its first NCAA championship in 2024. The Catamounts went 14-1-5 this season before suffering a stunning upset to Hofstra in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Dow took Vermont to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. This would undoubtedly be an excellent hire for Penn State.
