2:01 pm, December 16, 2024
Penn State and Nebraska are set to clash tonight for a spot in the 2024 NCAA DI women’s volleyball national title match, where they’ll face the winner of the Pittsburgh-Louisville semifinal. The championship match is scheduled for Sunday, December 22, in Louisville, KY.
This year marks the first time since 2008 that the top four overall seeds have advanced to the tournament semifinals, setting the stage for a historic showdown.
Here’s all the information needed to watch Penn State vs. Nebraska in the DI women’s volleyball tournament semifinals:
- 🗓️ Date: Thursday, Dec. 19
- ⏰ Time: 30 min. following 6:30 p.m. Pitt vs. Louisville semifinal match
- 📺 TV: ESPN | Stream
- 📍Location: KFC Yum! Center | Louisville, Kentucky
- 📊 Follow: Live scores and stats
We will be live blogging the game here on NCAA.com.
2:33 pm, December 16, 2024
Here are the paths Penn State and Nebraska took in the DI women’s volleyball tournament to reach the semifinals:
Penn STate Round nebraska Def. Deleware State, 3-0 First Def. Florida A&M, 3-0 Def. No. 8 North Carolina, 3-1 Second Def. No. 8 Miami, 3-0 Def. No. 5 Marquette, 3-1 Regionals Def. 5 Dayton, 3-1 Def. No. 2 Creighton, 3-2 Regional Final Def. No. 2 Wisconsin, 3-0
2:46 pm, December 16, 2024
Let’s take a look at how each team’s overall season stats compare:
Category Penn State Nebraska Record (Conference) 33-2 (19-1) 33-2 (19-1) Team Hitting % .285 .285 Opponent Hitting % .176 .139 Assists per Set 13.516 13.111 Service Aces/Errors 189/297 149/186 Digs per Set 14.683 15.248 Blocks per Set 2.488 2.791 Top Individual Kills Jess Mruzik (510) Harper Murray (391) Top Individual Assists Izzy Starck (1372) Bergen Reilly (1297) Top Individual Blocks Maggie Mendelson (140) Rebekah Allick (146)
4:25 pm, December 16, 2024
Earlier this season (Nov. 29), then-No. 4 Penn State upset then-No. 2 Nebraska, snapping the Cornhuskers’ impressive 25-match win streak with a 3-1 victory (21-25, 25-14, 22-25, 23-25).
Here are the teams’ stats against each other this season:
Penn State had 20 blocks, holding Nebraska to .154 hitting. The Nittany Lions also had 11 more kills, 57-46.
PENN STATE cATEGORY Leaders Kills Caroline Jurevicius (18), Camryn Hannah (12), Jess Mruzik (10) Aces Ava Falduto (1), Gillian Grimes (1), Jess Mruzik (1) Blocks Izzy Starck (6), Maggie Mendelson (6), Taylor Trammell (4) Assists Izzy Starck (46), Jess Mruzik (5), Gillian Grimes (4) Digs Gillian Grimes (12), Izzy Starck (11), Ava Falduto (10), Jess Mruzik (10) Nebraska had 16 blocks, holding Penn State to .152 hitting.
NEBRASKA cATEGORY Leaders Kills Harper Murray (13), Andi Jackson (10), Rebekah Allick (8) Aces Harper Murray (1) Blocks Andi Jackson (8), Rebekah Allick (7), Merritt Beason (5) Assists Bergen Reilly (38), Lexi Rodriguez (3), Harper Murray (1), Andi Jackson (1), Rebekah Allick (1) Digs Lexi Rodriguez (16), Harper Murray (13), Laney Choboy (9)
4:30 pm, December 16, 2024
Penn State and Nebraska are set to face off in the semifinals after overcoming tough opponents. The Nittany Lions secured their spot with a thrilling five-set victory over Creighton, clinching the final set 15-7. Meanwhile, Nebraska powered past Wisconsin in a decisive sweep to punch their ticket to this stage.
These Big Ten rivals share a storied history and have nine national runner-up finishes between them.
🦁 Penn State
- Semifinal Comeback: The Nittany Lions return to the semifinals for the first time in seven years, having last reached this stage in 2017, where they fell to Nebraska.
- Milestone for Schumacher-Cawley: Third-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley secured her first NCAA regional final win with the victory over Creighton.
- Semifinal Legacy: This marks Penn State’s 14th semifinal appearance in program history.
- Championship History: Penn State holds seven NCAA titles, all won under legendary coach Russ Rose. Now, Schumacher-Cawley has the chance to become the first woman to win an NCAA Division I volleyball championship as a head coach.
🌽 Nebraska
- Semifinal Regulars: The Cornhuskers make their seventh semifinal appearance in the past 10 seasons and their 18th overall, a testament to their sustained dominance.
- Cook’s Dynasty: Head coach John Cook, in his 25th season, has led Nebraska to 12 semifinal appearances and four NCAA titles, making him the only coach in this year’s semifinals with championship experience.
- Redemption Arc: Nebraska reached last year’s national championship but fell short. They’ll be hungry to avenge their loss and add to their five NCAA titles.
- Past Glory: Nebraska last won the national title in 2017, the same year they defeated Penn State in the semifinals.
