LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — The yr of the reverse sweep.
Nevertheless it couldn’t occur within the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship, might it? Despite the fact that reverse sweeps appeared to occur this yr greater than ever.
Effectively, late Thursday night time/Friday morning within the KFC Yum! Middle, Penn State rallied for a 23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 28-26, 15-13 victory over Nebraska in a battle of Huge Ten groups that can reside within the lore of the school sport.
Nebraska, the wire-to-wire favourite, is headed residence after a 33-3 season. Penn State (34-2), will go for its first title since 2014 when it performs Louisville in Sunday’s ultimate. Louisville beat Pitt in 4 units in a battle of ACC powers within the first semifinal.
It implies that for the primary time a girl coach will win the NCAA title when Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley goes up towards Louisville’s Dani Busboom Kelly.
Penn State, which has gained 11 in a row, which features a regular-season victory over Nebraska of their solely assembly this season, bought 26 kills — six within the fifth set — from Jess Mruzik, who hit .300 an had two assists, an ace, 12 digs and a block. Caroline Jurevicious, who transferred from Nebraska, had 20 kills, two digs and 4 blocks. Camryn Hannah, who had the match-winner, had 16 kills, an ace, 5 digs and a solo block.
Setter Izzy Starck had two kills, 56 assists, an ace, 11 digs and two blocks. Her crew hit .242 for the match, .471 within the fifth set. Gillian Grimes had 25 digs, 9 assists and an ace. Penn State had 9 kills with one error in 17 assaults to hit .471 within the fifth set.
Nebraska’s Harper Murray, who a yr in the past after her crew misplaced within the ultimate assured three titles for the Huskers in three years, led her crew with 20 kills, and had an help, three aces, 15 digs and 6 blocks.
Andi Jackson was nearly unstoppable, ending with 19 kills and two errors in 27 assaults to hit .630. She had 5 blocks. Her first error got here after she had 15 kills with no errors in 17 makes an attempt. Taylor Landfair had 10 kills, two digs and three blocks, and Rebekah Allick had eight kills, hit .353, and had an help, a dig and 10 blocks, two solo. Merritt Beason had eight kills, an ace, 4 digs and three blocks.
Setter Bergen Reilly had 55 assists, 15 digs and a block, and Lexi Rodriguez, who turned this system’s all-time digs chief, 15 digs and 5 assists. Nebraska hit .262.
Nebraska does what it does finest on the finish of the primary set. Down 23-21, the Huskers — counting on touches on the internet, got here out of their timeout by scoring 4 factors in a row. Jackson had a kill, Beason an ace, after which Jackson had two extra kills to finish it.
Nebraska hit .273 within the set, which included Jackson getting six kills with no errors in eight assaults. Penn State, which hit .222, bought 5 kills from Hannah on 10 errorless swings.
Penn State hit .098 within the second set with 15 kills and 11 errors in 41 makes an attempt. Nebraska, moderately, hit .400 with 12 kills and two errors in 26 swings.
Penn State gutted out a third-set win. Nittany Lions, up 23-20, needed to have had first-set flashbacks when Nebraska pulled to 23-22, however went forward 24-22 on a kill by Jurevicious. Murray had a kill, however Penn State closed it out when Murray hit lengthy and broad left.
Within the fourth set, Penn State led 15-12 on a kill by Mruzik, however Nebraska rallied in a bit manner. After a service error by Mruzik, the Huskers added 5 extra factors in a run that included three aces and a kill by Murray.
Penn State referred to as its ultimate timeout down 20-16. Nebraska did the identical with a 22-19 lead.
The lead closed to 22-20 when Hannah put down an overpass, however Murray’s assault out of the again row made it 23-20. Hannah bought a kill to make it 23-21 and Penn State capped a protracted rally with a kill by Mruzik to get to 23-22.
Allick’s kill out of the center gave the Huskers match level. Penn State saved one level on Mruzik’s kill after which tied it when Jurevicious hit off the block. Nebraska challenged the ball was in however the name was confirmed.
Penn State bought an ace from Grimes, however Mruzik hit out of bounds and it was 25-25.
Mruzik hit off the block to make it 26-25, however Beason ended a rally with a putback of an over dig. Penn State challenged Nebraska was within the internet however there was no internet violation and it was 26-26
Penn State pressured the fifth on a Mruzik kill and cross-court blast by Hannah.
The fifth set started at 12:18 a.m.
Penn State went up 5-2 on Jackson’s second hitting error of the night time, a slide assault that by no means cleared the web. Nebraska used its first timeout.
Murray bought it to 5-3 on roll shot to the center. Penn State went up 6-3 on a kill Mruzik.
Jackson scored on a slide earlier than Mruzik crushed a ball popping out of the again row to make 7-4.
Landfair bought a kill to get the Huskers to 7-5, however a protracted rally ended with Nebraska within the internet and Penn State up 8-5 because the groups modified sides.
Landfair bought a kill from the best facet to make it 8-6 however Mauch sailed a serve manner lengthy.
Allick’s kill pulled Nebraska to 9-7 and Murray made it 9-8 by going off the fingers of Jurevicious. Penn State used its first timeout of the fifth.
Mruzik made an ideal cross off of a Rodriguez serve, bought it again and had a giant kill. And it bought to 11-8 when Jurevicious blocked a mushy Murray try. It was 12-8 on one other Mruzik kill and Nebraska used its ultimate timeout.
Beason had a kill from the best facet and Nebraska trailed 12-9 and it was 12-10 when Jurevicious was blocked by Murray and Jackson. Penn State referred to as its final timeout.
Penn State gained the following lengthy rally on a kill by Mruzik.
Nebraska bought some extent when Murray’s shot prompted Penn State right into a ballhandling error.
It was 14-11 when Hannah tipped out of the again row. Nebraska stil had life when xx’s serve went lengthy. And it was 14-13 on by Kennedi Orr.
It ended on Hannah’s blast off a block that went out of bounds.
Each groups completed 19-1 atop the Huge Ten, however Penn State gained their solely assembly, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 25-23 at Penn State on November 29.
Jurevicious had 18 kills towards her outdated crew, hitting .414, Hannah had 12 and Mruzik 10 but in addition 10 errors.
Harper Murray had 13 kills for Nebraska and Andi Jackson 10 and eight blocks.
