Penn State vs. Nebraska: Preview, how to watch the 2024 NCAA women's volleyball tournament semifinal
📺 How to watch No. 1 Penn State vs. No. 1 Nebraska
Penn State and Nebraska are set to clash 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 all four No. 1 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, December 19
⏰ Time: 30 min. following Pitt vs. Louisville semifinal match
📺 TV: ESPN
📍Location: KFC Yum! Center | Louisville, KY
📊 Follow: Live scores and stats
We will be live blogging the game here on krikya18.com.
🛣️ Road to the DI women's volleyball tournament semifinals
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 |
📈 Stat sheet showdown
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) |
⚖️ Tale of the tape: How Penn State compared to Nebraska in the regular season
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.
| 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.
| 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) |
🔍 Inside the match: History, rivalry and what's at stake
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.