Twelfth-ranked Penn State arrived at Belknap Campus on Sunday hoping to instill a little respect into the undefeated and second-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team. A vaunted program, the Nittany Lions have won seven national titles and they were not going to be taken lightly.
Pardon us but the Penn State team that UofL faced in a nationally-televised game did not seem to belong on the same court as the Cardinals. Turned out to be more of a stat-stuffing exercise than a serious competition.
UofL never trailed once during the afternoon, winning all three sets by convincing scores of 25-17, 25-19, 25-16. The win boosted Louisville’s won-lost record to 8-0 on the season. Louisville racked up 40 kills, five aces and seven blocks to send the visitors home wondering what hit them with a 4-3 record.
Outside hitter Anna DeBeer recorded 10 kills, 11 digs, and a block, outside hitter Charitie Luper added nine kills, an ace, and three blocks, and opposite hitter Aiko Jones had eight kills, an ace, and two blocks. Setter Elle Glock tallied 35 assists while libero Elena Scott had 18 digs and three assists.
The only disappointment is that former UofL President Neeli Bendapudi, who packed up and left the school after two years for a similar post at Penn State, was not there to witness the whitewash in person. Any win over Penn State is a good one.
