University of Louisville
Penn State
Volleyball Falls to No. 1 Penn State
September 13, 2008 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 13, 2008
Justine Landi had 11 kills and six digs but it was not enough as the University of Louisville volleyball team fell 3-0 to No. 1 ranked Penn State in the final match of the Chicago Classic at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago.
The Cardinals fall to 3-4 with the 25-16, 25-19, 25-20 loss. Penn State remains undefeated at 9-0. Tatyana Kolesnikova earned All-Tournament Honors and had eight kills and a block in the final set. Lindsey Mango had a match-high nine blocks for the Cards. PSU was led by Nicole Fawcett's 16 kills. U of L hit .221 and the two teams each recorded four blocks.
"We played with great energy and a lot of heart and were fighting until the very end," said U of L head coach Leonid Yelin. "This will only help us down the road for the rest of the season."
In the first set, U of L withstood the firepower of the top ranked team in the nation, staying within six or less until the Lions pulled away near the end. A 6-3 run down the stretch tipped the set to Penn State at 25-16. The Cardinals were led by Tatyana Kolesnikova's four kills. But .148 hitting by the Cardinals was no match for the high-octane .441 hitting by the Nittany Lions. Nicole Fawcett led the way for PSU with seven kills.
The Cardinals stayed with the Nittany Lions in the second set, and were tied at 18 before Penn State shifted up a gear and outscored U of L 7-1 in the last eight points for the 25-19 win. U of L was led by Lecia Brown's three kills and a block.
U of L had a 7-0 run midway through the final set to go up 16-14 on the Lions. However, PSU answered with a 7-1 run of its own. Three Justine Landi kills helped the Cards stay within striking distance at 22-19. But PSU reeled off three of the last four points for the 25-20 win.
