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No 9 Penn State Volleyball Takes Down Villanova in Four Sets

No 9 Penn State Volleyball Takes Down Villanova in Four Sets

By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | September 17, 2026 | Photo courtesy Jake Speicher

UNIVERSITY PARK — No. 9 Penn State continued its strong start to the 2026 season Tuesday night, defeating in-state opponent Villanova in four sets at Rec Hall.

The Nittany Lions earned the 3-1 victory by scores of 25-14, 19-25, 25-23 and 25-18, improving to 7-1 overall while extending their winning streak to four matches.

Sophomore middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols delivered one of the best performances of her young career, finishing with a career-high 13 kills while hitting .579 and adding six blocks.

Kennedy Martin provided another consistent offensive option with 12 kills, while setter Alexis Stucky directed the Penn State attack with 43 assists, seven digs and two service aces.

Penn State came out firing in the opening set.

The Nittany Lions hit .500 and used an early 9-0 run to build a commanding 15-4 advantage. Villanova was unable to recover as Penn State rolled to a 25-14 victory.

The Wildcats responded in the second.

Penn State struggled to find the same rhythm it showed in the opener, committing seven attack errors and six service errors. Villanova took advantage and evened the match with a 25-19 win.

That set the stage for the most competitive stretch of the night.

Penn State and Villanova battled deep into the third set before back-to-back Nichols kills put the Nittany Lions ahead 22-19. Villanova answered with three consecutive points to tie the score at 22.

Martin then delivered when Penn State needed her most, recording consecutive kills to move the Nittany Lions within one point of taking the set. After Villanova fought off the first set point, Haley Burgdorf put it away with a kill for a 25-23 Penn State victory.

With control of the match back in its hands, Penn State didn’t let it slip away.

The Nittany Lions jumped ahead early in the fourth set and built an 18-8 advantage. Nichols continued to make an impact at the net with four kills and three blocks in the set before delivering the match-clinching kill in a 25-18 victory.

Penn State finished with a significant statistical advantage, totaling 57 kills compared with Villanova’s 40 while also holding a 10-4 advantage in blocks. The Nittany Lions hit .285 for the match and held the Wildcats to .153.

Burgdorf finished with a career-high 13 digs, while Ava Falduto added 12.

Villanova’s Abby Harrell and Taylor Lewis each recorded 13 kills. Harrell, the Big East Preseason Player of the Year, also contributed six digs and three aces.

The victory kept Penn State perfect all-time against Villanova. The Nittany Lions are now 16-0 in the series, which resumed Tuesday for the first time since 2015.

Penn State will remain at Rec Hall for the Penn State Classic, beginning Friday against South Florida before facing No. 16 Tennessee on Sunday.