No. 13 Penn State Women's Volleyball Hosts No. 5 Pitt in In-State Rivalry
The No. 13 Penn State Women's Volleyball team is set to host their in-state rival, No. 5 Pitt, at Rec Hall on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. This marks the 54th edition of this historic matchup.
Match Details and Fan Information
The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on the B1G Network. Fans attending the game at Rec Hall should refer to the provided link for important information regarding ticketing, parking, and bag policy.
How to Follow: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. ET, No. 5 Pitt (7-2) at No. 13 Penn State (4-3). Live stats will be available, and the match will be broadcast on B1G Network.
Opening Notes and Home Court Advantage
Penn State continues its homestand with this non-conference match against Pittsburgh, marking the fourth of nine consecutive home matches for the Nittany Lions. The team boasts an impressive 50-6 record at Rec Hall under head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, including a perfect 20-0 record at home last season. Through their first three home matches, they've averaged 4,320 fans.
Ranked Opponents and Series History
This game marks the sixth time in the first eight matches of the season that Penn State has faced a nationally-ranked opponent. Historically, Penn State leads the all-time series with Pitt 33-20. However, Pitt has won three of the last four matches after Penn State dominated the series from 1987-2017. The Nittany Lions hold an 18-4 record against the Panthers at Rec Hall, with this being the first match between the teams at the venue since 2019.
Scouting Pitt
Pitt enters the match with a 7-2 overall record. After dropping their first two matches to ranked opponents, the Panthers bounced back with seven consecutive wins, including victories over No. 25 TCU, No. 7 Arizona State, and No. 3 Kentucky. The Panthers have a streak of four straight NCAA National Semifinal appearances. Key player to watch is junior right side Olivia Babcock, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Year. Pitt was picked first in the 2025 ACC Preseason Poll, with Blaire Bayless, Ryla Jones, and Bre Kelley joining Babcock on the Preseason All-ACC Team.
Penn State Against the ACC
Penn State has a strong record of 116-42 all-time against current members of the ACC. The Nittany Lions have played 15 of the 18 teams in the conference and have a winning record against 14 of them, remaining unbeaten against eight ACC opponents with a combined 39-0 record. Last season, Penn State went 4-1 against the ACC, including a 3-1 win over Louisville to claim the National Championship.
Last Time Out
Despite resting their top scorer, Kennedy Martin, Penn State swept Bucknell 3-0 (25-19, 25-10, 25-20) at Rec Hall last week. Freshman outside hitter Alexis Ewing had a standout performance in her first-career start, hitting .429 with eight kills and five blocks. Addie Lyon guided the offense with 37 assists as the Nittany Lions hit .375 as a team. Jordan Hopp contributed seven kills on .750 hitting, Maggie Mendelson hit .471 with nine kills, Emmi Sellman led with 10 kills, and Caroline Jurevicius added eight. Gillian Grimes recorded 14 digs.
Streaks to Watch
- Gillian Grimes: 3 straight matches with at least one ace
- Kennedy Martin: 58 straight matches with double-digit kills when playing at least three sets; 3 straight matches with at least one ace
Rec Hall and National Ranking Streaks
- The Nittany Lions boast a 24-game home winning streak at Rec Hall dating back to 2023.
- Penn State is ranked No. 13 in the latest AVCA Poll.
- The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 554 consecutive AVCA Coaches Polls, dating back to 1988.
Winning the First Set
Penn State has won the first set in 1,419 of its 1,767 matches all-time, or 80 percent of the time. Of those matches, they went on to win the match 1,327 times, or 94 percent of the time.
Up Next
Penn State will host Princeton and Central Michigan for the Penn State Classic from Friday to Sunday.
Where to Watch Pittsburgh vs. Penn State
The No. 5-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers face the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions in a women’s college volleyball match on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025 at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa.
The match will be televised on Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. ET.
| Streaming platform | Free trial | Monthly price | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | Yes | $89.99 | $35 off your first month |
| FuboTV | Yes | $84.99 | $30 off your first month |
How to Watch
Here are your best options to watch the match if you don’t already have cable:
- Watch for free with a trial of DIRECTV or FuboTV
Here’s what you need to know:
- What: College volleyball
- Who: Pitt vs. Penn State
- When: Sept. 17, 2025 (9/17/25)
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Rec Hall
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Live stream: DIRECTV (free trial), FuboTV (free trial)
Top 25 AVCA Volleyball Rankings
Games through Sept. 14, 2025
1, Nebraska; 2, Texas; 3, Louisville; 4, Stanford; 5, Pittsburgh; 6, Kentucky; 7, Wisconsin; 8, Arizona State; 9, TCU; 10, SMU ; 11, Purdue; 12, Minnesota; 13, Penn State; 14, Texas A&M; 15, Florida; 16, BYU; 17, Kansas; 18, Creighton; 19, Southern California; 20, Utah; 21, Baylor; 22, Missouri; 23, Georgia Tech; 24, Tennessee; 25, North Carolina.
