Penn State women’s volleyball loses to Pitt, continues rough start to 2025

As defending national champions, there’s always going to be a target on your back — especially when there’s the possibility of a repeat.

That’s been the case for Penn State women’s volleyball in 2025, and it’s safe to say the bullseye has been hit a few times. But a big chance to get back on track came to town Wednesday, as the Nittany Lions took on in-state rival No. 5 Pitt at Rec Hall.

The train continued to skid off the tracks for Penn State as it fell 3-1 to the Panthers, another loss at Rec Hall after falling to Kentucky earlier this month in the home opener. Before that, the team’s last loss at home was Nov. 3, 2023.

Season starts on wrong foot

The Nittany Lions started the season ranked No. 2 in the AVCA poll, but now find themselves at No. 13 after losses to three ranked opponents in Arizona State, TCU and Kentucky.

Penn State’s biggest loss, however, came off the court when All-American setter Izzy Starck announced she would be taking the year off, citing mental health as the reason for her hiatus.

“I recognize that I need to take a step back and focus on getting the help and care I need at this time,” Starck wrote on Instagram. “This is not a goodbye forever, it’s simply a pause to focus on healing and growth.”

Starck was named the AVCA Freshman of the Year in 2024 after recording 112 kills and 1,483 assists en route to the squad’s national championship victory. Before leaving the team this year, Starck was selected to the AVCA Player of the Year award watch list and was averaging 42.5 assists a match.

The departure of its star setter has left Penn State searching for a way to replicate her production in the lineup with graduate student Addie Lyon, who has held her own in the face of offensive struggles.

“I think she’s come in and played a great role with this Penn State team,” Pitt setter Brooke Mosher said. “I think she’s still running a great offense. You know, coming in to something like Izzy Starck leaving is difficult, but I think she’s doing a really great job.”

Despite the shocking departure of their star setter and having more losses through seven games than they had all last year, there have been some bright spots for the Nittany Lions.

The biggest has easily been outside hitter Kennedy Martin, who was the most sought after name in the transfer portal this offseason. The former Florida Gator has been exactly as advertised so far, as she entered the match against Pitt with a team-leading 101 kills and 4.59 kills per set.

Struggles continue versus Pitt

Similarly to most of its matches this year, Penn State started off slow against the Panthers, who took an 8-3 lead in the first set behind some sloppy hitting by the Nittany Lions.

Penn State caught some fire off the back of Martin shortly thereafter, with the junior tallying four kills to help her team take a 15-14 lead and force a Pitt timeout. The Panthers’ hitting percentage dropped from .455 to .150 across the Nittany Lions’ 12-6 run.

The first set remained tight following the break, as neither team took more than a two-point lead while the set inched closer to the finish line. The Panthers eventually closed the door with three straight points to win the opener 25-23.

Back-and-forth play continued to begin the next set, but a 7-3 run for Penn State had Rec Hall rocking as the Nittany Lions took an 11-9 lead. Pitt then went on a run of its own thanks to a service error and two hitting errors by the Nittany Lions, helping give the Panthers a 16-12 advantage in the crucial second set.

Pitt’s momentum never slowed, with star right side hitter Olivia Babcock serving. The Panthers extended their lead to 22-13 while Penn State looked desperate for answers its opponent’s attack. The Nittany Lions attempted to claw their way back into Set 2 — even saving a set point — but Pitt was relentless, taking the set 25-17.

Penn State’s attack was firing on all cylinders to open the do-or-die third set, but Pitt refused to let the Nittany Lions take control and eventually took a 10-9 lead before eventually extending that advantage to 15-12.

The Nittany Lions wouldn’t go away just yet, tallying a 5-1 run that put them ahead 17-16. The rivals remained neck-in-neck as the third set continued with the score reaching a 20-20 tie.

Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s decision to sub in Alexis Ewing paid dividends, as the freshman recorded two crucial kills to help give Penn State two set points. The Nittany Lions didn’t convert the first, but a kill by Martin gave them the third set, 25-23, and a lifeline.

Penn State kept its momentum to start the fourth set, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, but Pitt put its foot on the gas shortly thereafter and took a 15-10 advantage. The Nittany Lions simply couldn’t keep up, and the Panthers found themselves on the doorstep of a victory ahead 19-13.

“(In the fourth set I told them to) just compete and to do their job. When we serve and pass aggressive, I think we’re pretty good, and we have the arms that can score, but unfortunately, we made too many errors, and I think we need to get better and be more focused in practice during the week,” Schumacher-Cawley said.

The Nittany Lions were no match for the Panthers, as they closed out the fourth set and the match, 25-17. With the 3-1 victory, Pitt has now won four of the last five matchups against Penn State, which sits at 4-4 and looks like a shell of the team it was one year ago.

“I just wouldn’t look too much at 4-4,” Pitt coach Dan Fisher said. “We’re all playing these days with showcases. We’re right away before we’ve really had time to kind of mesh as a team, playing the other best teams in the country. I certainly expect them to settle into what their lineup is going to be, and getting more comfortable playing with their new setter.”