Fall sports are underway in Happy Valley, and Penn State is off to a hot start.
Women's soccer opened its season with a tie as the men's team took home a 3-2 win at home vs. Mercyhurst. Both squads lost their next games, but the women's team rallied to shutout Bucknell for its home-opener of the season. On Sunday, the Nittany Lions shutout Brown, 6-0, as well.
The women's volleyball team participated in Spikes Under the Lights at AT&T Stadium, and though it lost to No. 11 SMU, it was a decent performance by Penn State. The Nittany Lions then went on a 3-0 run at their Invitational.
Penn State's field hockey team opened the season with an overtime loss, but then defeated Lock Haven, 8-0 on Sunday.
Penn State football season predictions
Matt Campbell's first game as the Nittany Lions' head coach is just days away, and unlike the rest of the season, he's expected to come out of this contest with a win. He should have no problem extending that win-streak through the rest of the non-conference slate and into the first two weeks of Big Ten play.
Once USC visits in Week 6, it's a different story. If Campbell comes out of this game still undefeated, it'll be a signature White Out win in the books for Penn State. However, the blue and white logging their first loss of the season sounds more likely.
A 9-3 record has been a common prediction for this team, and while it's what Victory Bell Rings went with as well, doesn't mean all three losses are the anticipated ones.
After losing to the Trojans, Campbell and that locker room will have to dig deep heading into Week 7 at Michigan — and I think they will.
With two losses to USC and Washington along with a win over the Wolverines in this prediction, that means Penn State must fall into a trap game. Northwestern and Rutgers are good contenders for that, maybe even Minnesota, but Maryland is the most enticing trap game that's flying under-the-radar with quarterback Malik Washington.
Penn State field hockey perseveres in season-opener
The Nittany Lions opened their 2026 season with a loss to Virginia, but the effort was there. They fell behind 3-0 early, but rallied to tie the game within a six-minute stretch with back-to-back-to-back scores from Olivia Marthins, Ella Gaitan, and Chloe D'Hage
Defensive efforts kept the score where it was and Penn State forced the game into overtime. Though the blue and white ultimately lost and an overtime loss certainly stings, the ability to even answer the Cavaliers' three scores is something the team didn't have a year ago.
It was a moral victory for the Nittany Lions in the season-opener.
More: Penn State women's volleyball defeats UConn at home
Though the Nittany Lions lost their first match vs. No. 11 SMU on Thursday night, that game didn't count toward their record. On Saturday afternoon, they officially started the 2026 season off 1-0 with a sweep against UConn.
FIRST NITTANY LION W OF THE SEASON 🏆#WeAre pic.twitter.com/nBMaViwBUT
— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) August 29, 2026
Outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein and right side hitter Kennedy Martin continued showing why they're the top players on this roster, especially up at the net. Lauenstein had 10 kills and two errors on 22 attacks, finishing with a 0.364 attack rate; Martin had seven kills and one error on 15 attempts, finishing with a 0.400 attack rate. The former Florida attacker also led the team in blocks with three.
Setter Alexis Stucky finished the match with 27 assists, nine digs, and one ace behind the service line. Libero Ava Falduto also had nine digs in the match.
Penn State faced High Point and Hofstra on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. The Nittany Lions beat the Panthers in five sets and swept the Pride.
On the schedule next is the Big Ten/SEC Challenge at Wrigley Field. The Nittany Lions face Kentucky at 7 p.m. ET. The match can be watched on FOX.
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