Penn State women's volleyball is back in action Sunday after starting the season off 3-0 following its invitational with UConn, Hofstra, and High Point. The Nittany Lions' match vs. No. 11 SMU in Spikes Under the Lights did not count toward their overall record.
This time around, the blue and white face an even tougher opponent and the match will count toward their record. Their game vs. No. 3 Kentucky is one of two games being played at Wrigley Field as the "finale" of the Big Ten/SEC Challenge. All teams from both conferences have played each other all week, and the event concludes with two matches Sunday night.
Here's everything you need to know about Penn State's upcoming match.
How to watch No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 3 Kentucky
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 6
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Wrigley Field (Chicago, Ill.)
- How to Watch (TV): FOX
- Streaming: fuboTV
- Penn State record: 3-0
- Kentucky record: 4-1
Penn State vs. Kentucky series history
The Nittany Lions and Wildcats have faced each other nine times in series history with their last matchup coming from the 2025 season. Kentucky beat Penn State 3-0 last year, which is only its second win in these two teams' history.
The Nittany Lions hold a 7-2 advantage in this series, and hope to extend that on Sunday. Their last win was in 2024 and they puleld a reverse sweep on the Wildcats on the road.
Key Nittany Lions and Wildcats to watch
Penn State:
- Outside hitter - Whitney Lauenstein
- Opposite hitter - Kennedy Martin
- Middle blocker - Ryla Jones
The Nittany Lions are heading into this match with a week's worth of preparation, which is a pretty decent amount of time in college volleyball. Their defense hasn't been as impressive to start the season, so they must battle back with their star hitters.
Lauenstein and Martin lead the team in kills with 30 a piece, each averaging three kills per set. These two have been setter Alexis Stucky's favorite targets. Lauenstein has the most attack attempts (80) and Martin isn't too far behind her with 67.
As for Jones, though her attack numbers aren't particularly high (19 attempts), her eight kills have been sneaky and quick. She and Stucky have continued strengthening that chemistry up at the net. Jones also has the second-most total blocks this season with nine and has just one block error.
At the service line, all three attackers lead Penn State in aces. Martin and Jones each have five aces so far this season and Lauenstein has four.
Kentucky:
- Outside hitter - Brooklyn DeLeye
- Outside hitter - Morgan Gaerte
- Middle blocker - Lizzie Carr
Kentucky has a stacked team and DeLeye is the most well-rounded of the bunch. She leads the team in points (80.5), kills (68), and aces (10). Her serve and attack averages over 50 miles per hour, so she's bound to exposed the Nittany Lions' defense. As for Deleye when she's in the back row, though, she doesn't run into a ton of trouble. She is currently third on the team in digs (30).
If she wasn't enough, Carr and Gaerte are right there to make sure that happens. The former Notre Dame hitter has the second-most kills (52) and is third in attack percentage (0.310). Carr is third in kills (42) and second in attack percentage (0.405).
Carr and Gaerte are also monster blockers as two of the top three for Kentucky so far this season. Carr leads the team with 17 and Gaerte is tied for second-most with 13 blocks.
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