The No. 1 seed Penn State women's volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Women's Volleyball National Semifinals with a 3-1 (25-19, 19-25, 26-24, 25-20) win against eighth-seeded Minnesota Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind. The Nittany Lions have advanced to the national semis five times in the last six seasons.
The Nittany Lions move on to face either No. 4 Nebraska or No. 5 Oregon in the National Semifinals on Thursday in Louisville.
Penn State also advanced to the national semis in 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The Lions have won five NCAA titles, including four straight from 2007-2010.
Junior Ariel Scott led the Nittany Lions with 25 kills on 422 hitting. Junior Deja McClendon McClendon was second on the squad with 14 and freshman Megan Courtney had 11.
Four Nittany Lions had double-digit digs, including 20 from sophomore Dominique Gonzalez, Hancock had 13, McClendon had 12 and Courtney had 10.
Micha Hancock dished out 46 assists and had a match-high five aces. She now owns the NCAA mark for aces in NCAA tournaments with 22. McClendon and sophomore Nia Grant had seven blocks apiece, including four solo by McClendon.
