Penn State news by
Penn State's student blog

Topics

More

First-Ever Silent Set Boosts Jonni Parker, Penn State Women’s Volleyball

No. 5 Penn State women’s volleyball’s season opener against Michigan State Wednesday night featured the team’s first-ever “Silent Set” to support and raise awareness for the International Week of the Deaf.

The promotion asked fans to remain silent from the match’s first serve until Penn State scored its ninth point, encouraging them to use American Sign Language to cheer on the Nittany Lions.

The nine-point mark was chosen specifically with No. 9 Jonni Parker in mind. Parker was born with a rare condition that limits her hearing to just 40% in her left ear and 45% in her right. She’s worn hearing aids since age 4.

Sign language instructions on everything from “P-S-U” to volleyball terms such as point and kill were blown up on the Rec Hall scoreboards throughout the match. Naturally, the crowd erupted once the silence was over.

Although the “Silent Set” ended shortly into the opening set, the spotlight never left Jonni Parker.

The sophomore right side put on an absolute show throughout the match against the Spartans. She racked up 16 kills, four digs, and two blocks in the sweep over Michigan State, falling just one kill short of tying her season-high.

“It was cool. I want to thank everyone for participating in [the “Silent Set”] tonight,” Parker said after the match. “It was a good cause. I’m glad we could raise awareness for [the International Week of the Deaf]. I hope we continue to do it.”

Parker and teammate Jenna Hampton noted that while playing in front of a silent crowd was out of the ordinary, it gave the Nittany Lions some much-needed practice playing in front of a crowd that wasn’t (audibly) cheering for it.

“[The Silent Set] proves that sometimes we have to bring our own energy,” said Parker. “We aren’t always going to have our fans when we’re on the road. When we’re on the road, we’ve got to learn to bring our own energy. We’ve got to bring our own energy and be confident in our play and be able to play at the highest level no matter what.”

That practice playing with low-crowd participation will prove fruitful once the Nittany Lions begin touring around the country in Big Ten play. Road match-ups at Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are tough on any team, but some extra preparation never hurts.

While Parker certainly shined throughout the special event, her performance was nothing out of the ordinary.

Parker already has 119 kills this season — the highest mark on the team. She’s currently averaging nearly four kills and two digs per set and is well on her way to surpassing her 2018 kill total of 351.

Parker has put the Nittany Lions on her back throughout the first 10 matches of the 2019 season, acting as a veteran leader in an incredibly young locker room. If Penn State intends on venturing far into this year’s NCAA tournament, it’ll be Parker leading the way.

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email ([email protected]) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

DuBois Goodwill Sells Rare Lego Piece For Over $18,000

While it took some time for Goodwill experts to know what they had on their hands, initial offers for the piece came in at $30,000.

Lady Lions Outlast Mississippi State 92-87 In WBIT Quarterfinals

Penn State scored 46 points in the paint to advance to the semifinals.

New Defensive Coordinator Tom Allen Brings Key Wrinkles To Penn State Football’s Defense

“We try to keep things simple so we can play fast.”

Follow on Another Platform
113kFollowers
164kFollowers
59.4kFollowers
4,570Subscribers