Volleyball: Women's
Under the Lights: Penn State at Iowa
Let's take a look at the highlights, lowlights and what's in the spotlight
after the Penn State women's volleyball team's sweep of Iowa on Saturday night.
Highlights:
Ariel Scott: Scott contributed another solid offensive performance,
hitting .318 with 18 kills. The sophomore continued to play an important role,
as she had 44 attacks out of the team's 124 total — 21 more than fellow
sophomore Deja McClendon.
Deja McClendon: Speaking of McClendon, the reigning AVCA Freshman of
the Year also stepped up to the plate. McClendon hit a team-leading .348,
tallying ten kills. The sophomore outside hitter's play has been somewhat
inconsistent recently, but her talent shone through last night.
Darcy Dorton: The fiery redshirt sophomore, who sat out last year with
an ACL tear, finally returned to significant action for the first time since
the 2009 national championship game against Texas. Dorton had 14 attacks
against Iowa, going over ten attacks for the first time this season. And what's
more, Dorton hit well —with five kills and a .286 hitting percentage.
Lowlights:
Nia Grant and Erica Denney: These players posted nearly identical
stat-lines. Each had no kills and one error on four attacks. If either one
hopes to garner more playing time, they'll have to significantly improve their
performance.
Katie Slay: For the first time all season, sophomore middle hitter
Katie Slay played poorly. Slay had only three kills and four errors on 13
attacks, hitting negative for the first time in the 2011 season. However, Slay
has been one of the Nittany Lions' best and most conistent performers thus far,
so there's likely no need to worry about Slay's performances.
Spotlight:
Will Darcy Dorton continue to get time? Dorton, as a freshman in 2009,
was one of the most important players in the Lions' championship run and
three-set comeback against Texas for the title. Coach Russ Rose, before the
season, expressed sentiments that Dorton would again be one of the team's most
essential players — if she could adequately recover from her ACL tear. With
Dorton getting her first legitimate playing time, the question of whether she
will now be asked to play a bigger role arises. The redshirt sophomore's
leadership has been important from the bench, but getting her on the court
regularly could be even more important for the Lions.