UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- For the 27th consecutive season, the Penn State women’s volleyball team (22-9) will serve as one of the 16 sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. The Nittany Lions are slated to face Northeastern conference champion LIU-Brooklyn in the first round at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 2. The winner of the opening round match will face Dayton or Pittsburgh for a berth to the NCAA Regional.
Penn State holds a 7-0 record against LIU Brooklyn all-time. The last time the two sides met, came during the first round of the NCAA tournament on Dec. 6, 2013.
Penn State enters the tournament with a 2-0 record against Dayton all-time and a 30-17 mark against Pittsburgh in all meetings.
The Nittany Lions are one of only two NCAA Division I women’s volleyball programs to compete in all 36 NCAA Championship postseason tournaments since 1981. In tournament play, the Nittany Lions own a 92-28 all-time record, having made 12 appearances in the final four.
Since 2007, Penn State has made more appearances in the NCAA national semifinals than any other program. PSU has participated in seven of the last nine final fours.
Penn State enters the postseason after a fourth place finish in the Big Ten regular season standings. The Nittany Lions are led offensively by standout junior outside hitter Simone Lee, who’s 455 season kills rank fifth during the 25-point rally scoring era. Returning All-Americans Ali Frantti and Haleigh Washington have played key roles, as Frantti closes in on 1,000 career kills while Washington remains one of the country’s most efficient hitters.