Penn State Swept Past South Florida Behind Electric Rec Hall Attack
By: Landyn Empet | SportzWire | September 20, 2026 | Photo courtesy Landyn Empet @lte_photography26
Penn State Swept Past South Florida Behind Electric Rec Hall Attack
The roar inside Rec Hall told you everything you needed to know about the atmosphere in University Park on Friday night, where 2,214 fans packed the stands and brought pure electricity from the opening serve. Penn State and South Florida went toe to toe across three hard-fought sets, but the Nittany Lions held their ground in time to secure a thrilling 3-0 sweep by scores of 25-18, 25-23, and 26-24.
South Florida came out swinging with plenty of fight, firing tough serves and forcing Penn State into long, frantic rallies right out of the gate. Nina Jioshvili-Ravva set the tone early from behind the service line, while Addy Brus and Paula Tomasa found gaps in the defense. The Bulls put together an impressive serving clinic throughout the evening, tallying 11 aces, including four from Ameli Wass de Czege and three apiece from Brus and Jioshvili-Ravva.
Penn State answered with a balanced, high-octane offense orchestrated by setter Alexis Stucky, who distributed 31 assists while adding three kills of her own. The opening set turned midway when Gabrielle Nichols made her presence felt at the net, teaming up with Whitney Lauenstein and Kennedy Martin for crucial blocks. Ryla Jones closed out the opening frame with an ace to seal the 25-18 win.
The second set featured high-drama momentum swings. South Florida pushed ahead 22-21 behind a stellar run of serving from Wass de Czege, who delivered back-to-back aces alongside huge net stops from Tomasa and Iyanna Garvin. Penn State held its composure under pressure, relying on Martin's heavy arm and clutch swings from Lauenstein to complete a late 4-1 surge and claim the set 25-23.
Set three proved to be the tightest frame of the night. South Florida fought back from an early deficit with contributions from Samiyah Abdur-Rahim, Mora Pampin, and setter Emelyn Stettin, eventually leveling the score at 24-24 after a Pampin kill. With tension at its peak, Stucky fed Lauenstein on consecutive plays, and the outside hitter put down back-to-back kills to clinch the 26-24 marathon and seal the match in one hour and thirty-eight minutes. Ava Falduto anchored the back row for the Nittany Lions with a match-high 12 digs, while Sofija Djordjevic led the Bulls with nine digs.
Player of the Game: Kennedy Martin
Kennedy Martin delivered an absolute masterclass on the pin to lead the Nittany Lions to victory. The standout attacker blasted a match-high 15 kills while committing just one error on 23 swings for a sizzling .609 hitting percentage. Martin was just as vital away from the net, contributing eight digs and two block assists to steady Penn State in the tightest moments of every set.
Penn State Top 5 Players
Kennedy Martin: 15 kills, 1 error, 23 attempts, .609 hitting percentage, 8 digs, 2 block assists, 16.0 points
Gabrielle Nichols: 7 kills, 2 errors, 14 attempts, .357 hitting percentage, 3 digs, 1 solo block, 6 block assists, 11.0 points
Whitney Lauenstein: 7 kills, 5 errors, 23 attempts, 2 assists, 1 ace, 1 dig, 2 block assists, 9.0 points
Ryla Jones: 6 kills, 1 error, 9 attempts, .556 hitting percentage, 2 aces, 1 dig, 1 solo block, 1 block assist, 9.5 points
Alexis Stucky: 3 kills, 0 errors, 6 attempts, .500 hitting percentage, 31 assists, 3 digs, 2 block assists, 4.0 points
South Florida Top 5 Players
Addy Brus: 8 kills, 1 error, 23 attempts, .304 hitting percentage, 1 assist, 3 aces, 6 digs, 11.0 points
Paula Tomasa: 7 kills, 6 errors, 23 attempts, 1 assist, 1 dig, 5 block assists, 9.5 points
Ameli Wass de Czege: 3 kills, 0 errors, 6 attempts, .500 hitting percentage, 4 aces, 3 block assists, 8.5 points
Mora Pampin: 8 kills, 6 errors, 23 attempts, 1 block assist, 8.0 points
Iyanna Garvin: 3 kills, 4 errors, 12 attempts, 2 solo blocks, 4 block assists, 7.0 points
Photography by Landyn Empet @lte_photography26
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