Penn State 3, Nebraska 2: Comeback!

Entering Thursday night’s NCAA volleyball national semifinal, Penn State had never beaten Nebraska twice in the same season and had lost 14 of the previous 16 games against the Cornhuskers. The Big Ten co-champions squared off in Louisville for a spot in the championship game.

Nebraska led for most of the first set, aided by three service errors by Penn State. Despite the early hole, three kills by Camryn Hannah and an Izzy Starck ace helped set up a 23-21 Penn State lead late in the set. Nebraska’s Andi Jackson answered immediately, scoring three kills on a 4-0 run, and the Huskers took set 1 25-23.

The Cornhuskers dominated the second set with their block and powerful serving, outhitting PSU .400 to .098 in the frame. Nebraska stretched the lead to as wide as 16-8, and while the Lions started to find some offensive rhythm later in the set, the Huskers ran away with a 25-18 win in set 2.

With their backs against the wall, the Lions tightened up on both sides of the ball in the third set, recording just two hitting errors after combining for 16 in the first two sets. A diversified attack led by six kills from Caroline Jurevicius helped Penn State keep pace, and her sixth kill of the set gave PSU two set points at 24-22. A Harper Murray kill allowed Nebraska to fend off the first set point, but PSU converted on the second with a Murray attack error. Penn State stayed alive with a 25-23 win in set 3.

Penn State continued its offensive rhythm in the fourth set and held a 15-12 lead midway through the set. A Jess Mruzik service error sprang a 6-0 Nebraska run, and suddenly the Lions found themselves down 18-15. The Huskers continued to frustrate Penn State with their serve, and a combo block by Rebekah Allick and Taylor Landfair stretched Nebraska’s lead to 22-16. The margin for error was narrow for Penn State.

Two kills and a block by Camryn Hannah helped the Lions trim the deficit to 23-22. After a kill from Rebekah Allick gave Nebraska two match points, Jess Mruzik and Caroline Jurevicius each recorded a kill to stave off elimination. A back-and-forth fourth set ended with another Hannah kill, and Penn State’s 28-26 4th set win sent the game to a decisive fifth set.

Entering tonight, Penn State had been undefeated in five-set matches this season (4-0). A Nebraska service error and an ace by Ava Falduto on consecutive plays put the Lions ahead 4-2, and Penn State would lead by at least two points until a kill from Harper Murray cut PSU’s lead to 9-8. A vital 3-0 Penn State run, highlighted by a combo block by Jordan Hopp and Caroline Jurevicius, extended the lead to 12-8.

A kill by Camryn Hannah set up the Lions with three match points at 14-11. After Nebraska fended off the first two, Hannah fittingly sealed the comeback victory with a kill that bounced out of bounds off of Nebraska’s block.

Penn State’s reverse sweep was its first in the NCAA tournament since the 2009 title game against Texas. Nebraska was reverse swept in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1982.

With the win, Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s squad advances to the NCAA championship game for the 11th time in program history and the first time since winning the 2014 title. The Nittany Lions are 7-3 all-time in title games.

Penn State will face host Louisville, who defeated overall No. 1 seed Pitt in the other semifinal, for the NCAA championship on Sunday afternoon at 3pm. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.