
Pirates Close Non-Conference with Penn State, UMBC - Seton Hall University Athletics
Seton Hall will return to action this weekend for its final non-conference matches of the season at the Penn State Classic. The Pirates will face host Penn ...

The Hall heads to the Penn State Classic starting Saturday.
PENN STATE CLASSIC
University Park, Pa. – Rec Hall
SETON HALL (6-3) at #13 PENN STATE (4-3) | |||||
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Date | Time | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | |
Fri., Sept. 15 | 4:00 PM | ![]() | None | ![]() | @SHUVolley |
SETON HALL (6-3) vs. UMBC (5-3) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Time | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | |
Sat., Sept. 16 | 1:00 PM | ![]() | None | ![]() | @SHUVolley |
Seton Hall will return to action this weekend for its final non-conference matches of the season at the Penn State Classic. The Pirates will face host Penn State on Friday at 4:00 p.m. On Saturday, The Hall will take on UMBC 1:00 p.m.
MEDIA
Both matches will be streamed live by the Big Ten Network Plus and both will also have live stats available.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Seton Hall and Penn State will play for only the fourth time in history on Friday. The Nittany Lions have won all three prior meetings including a sweep of the Pirates on Sept. 3, 2010, their last meeting. In fact, The Hall has never won a set against Penn State.
Penn State has been one of the nation's premier volleyball programs in recent years and is coming off another stellar campaign in 2022. The Nittany Lions finished with a 26-8 final record and won two matches in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 2 Wisconsin in five sets in the NCAA Regional Semifinals.
This season, Penn State returns seven players that have earned at least one all-conference honor during their collegiate career. They were picked to finish fourth in the 14-team Big Ten Conference according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll. Among Penn State's returnees are Mac Podraza, a three-time All-American and reigning Big Ten Setter of the Year, and Jess Mruzik, a two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection.
Penn State is off to a 4-3 record so far this year, but their competition has been stiff. The Nittany Lions' losses came at the hands of No. 11 Florida, No. 20 Georgia Tech, and most recently, at Louisville. The loss to the Cardinals snapped a four-match winning streak. Penn State enters the weekend ranked No. 13 in the country.
SCOUTING UMBC
Seton Hall and UMBC will meet for the fourth time on Saturday with the Pirates owning a 2-1 record in the prior three meetings. Most recently, The Hall defeated the Retrievers in four sets at the Seton Hall Invitational on Sept. 17, 2010.
UMBC is coming off a strong 2022 campaign that featured a 17-9 final record and an America East Tournament Championship. The Retrievers lost only one set during the tournament and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where coincidentally, they fell to No. 11 Penn State in the first round.
This season, the Retrievers are picked to repeat as the America East champions according to the conference's preseason coaches poll. UMBC returns all but one student-athlete from their championship roster, highlighted by the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Mila Ilieva, the 2022 Defensive Specialist of the Year, Aysia Miller, and the 2021 Rookie of the Year, Mia Bilusic.
UMBC enters the Penn State Classic with a 5-3 record this season and has won four of their last five matches. Most recently, the Retrievers had a four-match win streak snapped against Virginia in four sets on Sunday. They defeated Princeton in four sets on Friday and Howard also in four sets on Saturday.
UP NEXT
After the Penn State Classic, the Pirates will return to historic Walsh Gymnasium to begin BIG EAST Conference play. The Hall will host Providence on Friday, Sept. 22 at 6:00 p.m., followed by Connecticut on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 5:00 p.m.