Penn State women's volleyball loses heartbreaker to top-ranked Nebraska

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers took down No. 16 Penn State three sets to two on Friday night at Rec Hall.

It was the “Wear White” game for Penn State fans and they definitely delivered on that task which led to an erupting crowd throughout the entire match.

“I just want to thank the community, the students, the athletes, the THON families and everyone that made this such a special night. It was a great environment and you can’t ask for anything better than that,” Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said.

Penn State came out on fire in the first set and started off with a 4-0 run which they never looked back from. Just like many of their matches this year it was Jess Mruzik leading the way for the Nittany Lions who tallied four first-set kills including the one to win the set 25-15.

The dominance for Penn State would go on to continue in the second set when they went on a 5-0 run after being down 4-3 early which gave them momentum the rest of the way.

Penn State was starting to put together power and finesse in the second set as they were getting big blocks from Zoe Weatherington, no look kills from Mac Podraza and of course, the dagger from Mruzik to take a 2-0 set lead.

“I think when we pass well, I think our setters and Mac and the middles. I thought they did a good job. They were finding ways to score and that was something that we were working on this week,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “I like to see our players take big swings. And so I’m proud of the way they did that and they didn’t quit at the end.”

But the No.1 team in the country wouldn’t go down without a fight and started their comeback with a dominant third-set win which was led by standout Merritt Beason who finished the night with 27 kills for the Cornhuskers.

“I mean she's a great player. Katie says it all the time, everyone has their players and she’s definitely one of their go-to’s and I think she's a great all-around player. She gets up there and she puts up a nice block and she mixes it up when she’s attacking,” Jess Mruzik said. “But I mean I thought personally, I could have done a better job of adjusting on her.”

With tensions rising and the intensity in the building doing the same, the fourth set was extremely close to start as there wasn’t a two-point lead until Nebraska made it 9-7.

Mruzik and Beason were going back and forth trying to help their teams each way they could but as a whole Nebraska went on a 5-0 in the set they never looked back from and would go on to win the set 25-20.

In the winner-take-all final set, Nebraska imposed their will early and took what they thought was a 9-3 lead, but after a huge challenge from Penn State to make it 8-4 momentum shifted.

Mruzik and Beason were going back and forth like a seesaw and a huge block from Weatherington tied the set at 13 a piece.

At that moment no one in the building could hear what the person next to them was saying.

Yet no one on the Cornhuskers seemed to be fazed as they would go on to win the next two points and complete the comeback to win the match.

“I thought you know they don’t stop. They were taking big swings, you know. I thought they played the complete game, moving forward and they didn't quit on it. I think it’s a really nice team,” Schumacher-Cawley said.

Penn State will now shift their focus to yet another tough test as they head on the road to face Purdue, on Sunday, Nov. 5, a team they already have lost to this season.

“This conference is relentless and you need to be able to move on quickly and learn from it…I think these guys understand that and they know what they have to do and need to continue to work together and get better,” Schumacher-Cawley said.

Rob Cardini is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email rvc5706@psu.edu