Penn State women’s volleyball fell to No. 10 Nebraska in four sets (16-25, 25-22, 23-25, 17-25) Friday night at Rec Hall.

Nebraska outside hitter Madi Kubik led the Huskers over the Nittany Lions with 23 kills and 16 digs on the night.

How It Happened

Penn State had a sloppy early first set plagued by multiple hitting errors, giving Nebraska a 3-0 lead. The Nittany Lions’ offensive errors only furthered the Huskers’ lead to an 8-3 start. Nebraska only continued to dominate with its impressive hitting and serving giving the Huskers a 13-5 lead halfway through the first set.

The Nittany Lions had a few bright spots with an ace from Quinn Menger and two kills from senior middle hitter Kaitlyn Hord but sloppy hitting and serving from Penn State only fueled the Huskers’ momentum. Ultimately, Nebraska walked away with a 25-16 first-set win.

The second set began a lot smoother for Penn State. The Nittany Lions started off with a 4-2 lead. However, Nebraska regained a 7-5 lead before kills from setter Gabby Blossom and opposite hitter Jonni Parker tied the set at 8-8. Penn State took the lead again at 16-14 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Anjelina Starck and redshirt senior outside hitter Anastasiya Kudryashova.

Following an impressive volley that ended with a kill from Kudryashova, Penn State fell behind slightly allowing the Huskers to take a brief lead at 20-19. But, kills from Parker and Kaitlyn Hord gave the Nittany Lions a 23-21 lead over Nebraska. Penn State won the second set 25-22 on a block from sophomore middle hitter Allie Holland.

S2 | #PSUVB 23, Huskers 21

What a dig by @jennahamptonn! And it goes right to Jonni Parker for a kill! #WeAre pic.twitter.com/JIbpfbojym

— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) October 9, 2021

Penn State picked up right where it left off, earning a 5-3 lead early in the third set on a solo block from Starck and a kill from Hord. Hitting errors from Nebraska fueled the Nittany Lions’ momentum, increasing their lead to 7-3 on a 3-0 scoring run. The Huskers tied the set 8-8 before a solo block from sophomore outside hitter Annie Cate Fitzpatrick gave Penn State a 10-8 lead.

Halfway through the second set, Nebraska took an 18-15 lead thanks to hitting errors from the Nittany Lions. Back-to-back points from Holland and Blossom cut the Huskers’ lead at 18-17 before they took a 20-17 lead. A kill from Hord had Penn State trailing at 21-20.

Back-to-back kills from Starck tied the set at 23-23 before Nebraska’s Madi Kubik and Lauren Stivrins closed out with a kill apiece. Nebraska came back to win the third set 25-23.

Hord kicked off the fourth set with back-to-back kills before the Huskers’ Kayla Caffey responded with back-to-back kills. Nebraska’s already impressive hitting dominated the fourth set, giving it a 6-2 lead and 6-0 scoring run. Following a timeout, Penn State responded with blocks from Holland and Hord and a kill from Parker to tie the set at 6-6.

The Huskers went on a 5-0 scoring run to post a 12-7 lead over the Nittany Lions. Penn State tried to fend off the Huskers throughout the rest of the fourth set but couldn’t overcome their dominant hitting. Nebraska won the fourth and final set of the match 25-17 on a 3-0 scoring run.

Player Of The Game

Madi Kubik | Outside Hitter

Nebraska junior Madi Kubik finished the match with 23 kills and 16 digs to give the Huskers a 3-1 win over the Nittany Lions.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions are back at Rec Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 9, to face the Northwestern Wildcats.