BOULDER, Colo. – Getting it done from the service line, the ninth-ranked Stanford women's volleyball team handed No. 13 Penn State its third straight loss of the season, sweeping the Nittany Lions (26-24, 25-18, 25-22), Sunday, in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at the Coors Events Center.
It marked the first sweep for the Cardinal over the Nittany Lions since Sept. 11, 2010, when Stanford ended the Nittany Lions' record 109-match winning streak.
Stanford put down a season-high eight aces in the win, while committing just two errors from behind the service line. Sophomore outside hitter Hayley Hodson recorded a career-high four aces for the Cardinal.
Stanford out hit Penn State .232 to .227, while the Nittany Lions held the advantage in kills (43 to 41), digs (50 to 49) and blocks (10.0 to 8.0). Nine service errors hurt Penn State, which failed to record an ace.
Redshirt senior Inky Ajanaku led Stanford with 11 kills on .476 hitting and three blocks. She needs just two blocks to move into eighth place on the Cardinal's all-time blocks list. Hodson finished with nine kills and digs, while freshman Audriana Fitzmorris added eight kills on a .438 attack percentage to go with four blocks, two digs and an ace.
Senior setter Kelsey Humphreys racked up 21 assists and eight digs, while Jenna Gray totaled 13 assists, six digs and an ace. Freshman libero Morgan Hentz finished with 14 digs and an ace and sophomore defensive specialist Halland McKenna registered four digs and an ace.
Penn State was led by junior outside hitter Simone Lee's 12 kills, while junior middle blocker Haleigh Washington hit .412 with nine kills and a block. Freshman libero Kendall White had a match-best 22 digs for the Nittany Lions.
The Cardinal returns to The Farm next week to host the Stanford Invitational, Sept. 9-11. Stanford will take on No. 24 Purdue on Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks and Cal Poly on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.