Volleyball | 12/6/2024 10:44:00 PM

STATES COLLEGE, Pa. - The Delaware State University Hornets represented the MEAC in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament on Friday, Dec. 6, against No. 3 Penn State. The Hornets battled back after a rocky start to test the Nittany Lions in sets two and three. Despite battling in the second and third sets, Delaware State fell to Penn State in three sets, ending their 2024 season with a 17-14 overall mark.  

Valeria Otero and Gerren Tomlin led the Hornets with six kills each while Aaliyah Mitchell added five. Tomlin contributed three service aces and six digs to complete her stat line. Paige Ahakuelo tied Tomlin with three aces while adding six assists.  

The Hornets struggled in the first set giving up two 10-0 runs as the Nittany Lions won 25-4. 

Delaware State bounced back in the second set after shaking off the nerves to tie Penn State six times in set two. The two teams were neck and neck through the early serves with the score knotting up at four, five, six, eight and nine all. The Hornets trailed the Nittany Lions by one, following a kill by Hannah Sanders that put the score at 14-13.  

Penn State went on a 6-2 run taking a five-point lead, 20-15. Delaware State pulled within three, 23-20, following a 5-3 run that included two kills, a service ace and two PSU errors. The Nittany Lions closed out the set with back-to-back points to win set two 25-20.  

Set three began with Penn State scoring the first three points only to have Delaware State respond with three of their own to knot the score at three all. The score tied four more times, last at eight all, before the Nittany Lions pulled away to lead 18-11. The Hornets pulled within three, 18-15, following a 4-0 run, but Penn State dug in to close out the final set on a 7-3 run to win 25-18 and the match in three sets.  

Penn State advances to the second round where they will face North Carolina who defeated Yale in four sets in the first round.