Penn State Volleyball Rides Pink Out Energy to Four-Set Victory Over Oregon
By: Landyn Empet | SportzWire | October 24, 2026 | Photo courtesy Landyn Empet
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – With Rec Hall filled with pink and an energetic home crowd behind them, Penn State women's volleyball delivered an impressive performance Friday night, defeating Oregon 3-1 in its annual Pink Out match.
The Nittany Lions took down the Ducks 25-17, 23-25, 25-19 and 25-20 in front of 3,234 fans, giving the home crowd plenty to celebrate in a match filled with strong offensive plays, key defensive stops and plenty of energy.
Penn State came out firing in the opening set, quickly taking control of the match. The Nittany Lions hit an impressive .545 in the first set, recording 13 kills with just one attack error. That strong start helped Penn State take the first set 25-17 and set the tone for the night.
Oregon wasn't going away quietly, however. The Ducks fought back in the second set, taking advantage of several opportunities to secure a close 25-23 victory and tie the match at one set apiece.
With the match tied, Penn State responded in the third set. The Nittany Lions found their offensive rhythm again, recording 17 kills and hitting .368 to take the set 25-19. The team continued that momentum into the fourth set, where they finished off Oregon 25-20 to secure the home victory.
Kennedy Martin led the way for Penn State, finishing with a match-high 25 kills on 51 attempts while hitting .431. Martin also added seven digs and four block assists, accounting for 27 points in one of the night's strongest performances.
Whitney Lauenstein played a major role in the win as well, recording 15 kills, nine digs and five block assists. Emmi Sellman contributed seven kills, while Kendall Northern added five.
Setter Alexis Stucky helped keep Penn State's offense moving throughout the match, finishing with 45 assists and five digs. Gabrielle Nichols also made her presence felt defensively with nine block assists, helping the Nittany Lions control the net.
As a team, Penn State finished with 59 kills and a .346 hitting percentage, compared to Oregon's 51 kills and .156 hitting percentage. The Nittany Lions also dominated defensively at the net, recording 11 team blocks compared to Oregon's five.
For Oregon, Sjakkie Donkers led the Ducks with 15 kills, followed by Alanah Clemente with 13. Despite their efforts, Oregon struggled to find consistency against Penn State's strong attack and blocking.
Beyond the numbers, Friday night's matchup was about more than volleyball. The annual Pink Out brought a special atmosphere to Rec Hall, with fans dressed in pink to support breast cancer awareness while cheering on the Nittany Lions.
The combination of a lively home crowd and strong team performance made for an exciting night in University Park.
Although Oregon managed to steal the second set, Penn State showed its ability to respond under pressure and finish the match strong. The Nittany Lions never allowed the second-set loss to take control of the night, instead using their offense and defensive presence to pull away.
With another Big Ten victory secured at home, Penn State will look to build on Friday night's performance and carry that same energy into its upcoming matches.
If Friday night's performance showed anything, it's that Penn State can be a difficult team to stop when its offense is clicking and Rec Hall is behind it.
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter / X
YouTube
