The Florida Gators transfer Kennedy Martin adds a new look to the No. 2 Penn State women's volleyball's offense between power, explosiveness, and precision down the line. The Nittany Lions (1-0) took the game over No. 12 Creighton in three sets largely due to schematic creativity and Martin's arm.
"It went really well I think our team did a great job coming in really focused," Martin said postgame on FS1 after receiving her game MVP award. ". . . we're special, we got so many amazing girls that are unshakeable."
Martin's high IQ was evident in her sight on the court and pattern recognition of the Blue Jays' (0-1) blockers. Especially in the third set, the former Gator used Creighton's block to determine her approach.
With her height at six-feet-six inches, seeing the court and adjusting her body isn't a problem. The cross court hits are flashy and difficult to defend evident by Martin finishing the swing with her arm wrapping around and behind her back. In the second set from setter Izzy Starck, the angle she got on the ball sent it cross court and inside the ten-foot line, which isn't easy to accomplish with a powerful swing and her height.
Those strong swings weren't used just up front, either. Hitting back row, she found the seams in between Blue Jays to meticulously target her hit. Those in-game instincts also showed out when using Creighton's blockers to her advantage, putting the ball down between the blockers and the net, and hitting the ball off their arms to deflect out of bounds.
Her frame wasn't only beneficial in the air, but defensively as well. Martin's ability to extend her body all the way to her fingertips to tally one-arm digs kept balls alive while Penn State worked to re-find its rhythm against Blue Jay outside hitter Ava Martin. The junior Nittany Lion finished her evening with 14 kills, three attack errors, and nine digs.
It was an offensive-loaded Saturday for both teams. Ava Martin and Kennedy Martin were powerhouses for their respective teams, allowing Creighton and Penn State to go on multi-point runs or earn the ball back. Defensively, both teams went in and out of rhythm. The Nittany Lions eventually had the upper hand, and creativity kept the Blue Jays anticipating anything and everything.
The slide was a huge element to Penn State's offensive strategy with Starck creative plays forcing Creighton to shift drastically over. Maggie Mendelson was a major target off these sets. The middle blocker finished the evening with six kills.
Besides her arm, though, being up front at the net saved the Nittany Lions in key moments.
In the finale run of the third set with Creighton up and just one point away from winning the set — the only time throughout Saturday's game that it had a late lead and set-point position — Mendelson's eye on the hitters allowed her to get up quickly and in time to put the ball back down in Blue Jay territory. She and Kennedy Martin tied the set at 25-25, each earning a piece of that block and setting the Nittany Lions up for a three-point scoring run. This was one of five blocks Mendelson tallied.
Caroline Jurevicius finished off the match, giving Penn State a 3-0 shutout and a 27-25 third set finale. Her straight line drives were powerful and the all-or-nothing mentality kept her pushing that same spot, finding point-ending success eight times throughout the game. After switching to outside hitter with the addition of Kennedy Martin in the offseason, Jurevicius showcased her versatility on the front row.
Starck picked up right where she left off and there was never a lack of chemistry or connection between her and everyone around the court. She utilized each position, front and back row, to keep the Blue Jays' defense on its toes.
While she wasn't tallying kills, Starck slyly used her second-touch role.
Down 24-22 in the third set with Creighton desperate to send the match into set four, she quickly tipped the ball down on the second touch and gave the Nittany Lions the ball back and another lifeline. It was a risky move being down two with her opponent on a set point, but perfect execution had the play slip the Blue Jays' minds. The sophomore setter finished the opening 2025 match with 38 assists, 10 digs, and two kills.
Penn State faces Kansas on Monday, Aug. 25 for its second match in the AVCA First Serve tournament. The Jayhawks won their first game of the tournament against Vanderbilt, 3-2. First serve at Sanford Pentagon on Monday is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET and the match can be watched on Big Ten Network.