Ducks Fall in Four at No. 16 Penn State - University of Oregon Athletics

Friday, October 23

University Park, PA

4:00 PM

University of Oregon

16-3,7-2Big Ten

Penn State

14-5,6-3Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Oregon	17	25	19	20	1
Penn St.	25	23	25	25	3

Team huddle at Michigan State (Oct. 9, 2026)

10/23/26 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Friday’s loss snapped Oregon’s seven-match winning streak.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Ducks' seven-match winning streak was snapped Friday night with a four-set road loss at No. 16 Penn State. Sjakkie Donkers and Alanah Clemente led Oregon with 15 and 13 kills, respectively, but the Nittany Lions hit .364 on their way to the win in front of 3,234 fans at Rec Hall.

No. 10 Oregon is now 16-3 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play ahead of Saturday's quick turnaround at Ohio State (4 p.m. PT, B1G+). The Ducks' last loss came in their Big Ten opener at Wisconsin (Sept. 24).

Setter Marina Crownover posted her team-leading ninth double-double of the year with 33 assists and 10 digs to go along with four kills. In her second-straight start, freshman middle blocker Alaina Pollard established a new season and career high with eight kills while hitting .500 (8-1-14) for the Ducks.

How It Happened: Penn State (14-5, 6-3) won seven of the first 10 points of the night and never trailed in the opener on its way to taking the 1-0 match lead. The Nittany Lions hit .545 in the first set and on a second set point, Penn State opposite Kennedy Martin found the floor to close out the frame.

Martin finished with a match-high 25 kills.

In contrast to the first set, the second featured 12 ties and four lead changes. The Ducks led 9-6 after Marlee Arrington and Dalia Virlan teamed up for a block to force Penn State to call its first timeout of the night. It was the largest lead by either team in the set and down the stretch, the score was tied at 19, 20, 21 and 22.

At 22-all, Valentina Vaulet had a kill and then teamed up with Virlan to create some cushion with the Ducks leading, 24-22. Penn State saved one set point with another kill from Martin but on the ensuing rally, Donkers powered through the Nittany Lions' block to ger Oregon on the match scoreboard.

The third set played out similar to the first with Penn State going up 5-4—UO led 4-2—in the lone lead change. Penn State began to inch away before the Ducks were forced into a timeout facing a 13-8 hole. Again like the first, Oregon got to within three after a kill by Laura Eichert—PSU led, 21-18. Penn State answered with four of the next five points to regain the match advantage.

Momentum seemed to even out to start the fourth set but the teams trading points until libero Reese Sheppard delivered back-to-back service aces for a 10-8 lead. Fellow sophomore Maila Ribeiro also had consecutive aces later in the set, this time pushing the Ducks to a 17-16 lead and sending Penn State to the bench for a timeout.

However, the Nittany Lions ripped off seven of the next eight points and led 23-18 after a block from Martin and Gabrielle Nichols. Donkers posted the Ducks' final kill to save a match point but Penn State turned to Martin for the final tally and the four-set win.

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