Undefeated at Rec Hall. That’s why Penn State women’s volleyball is going to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

With the opportunity to go to the semifinals for the first time since 2017, the top-seeded Nittany Lions refused to let the moment slip away and used its home-court advantage one last time to win its Regional Final in five sets against No. 2-seeded Creighton.

After Penn State called for White Out conditions for the showdown, the atmosphere at Rec Hall was electric from start to finish and created a hostile environment for the Bluejays whenever momentum was swinging in favor of Creighton.

Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley thanked all the fans who came out to support the team and said they played a huge role in determining the outcome of this match.

“We were not sure with the weather, but our fans came out and they were loud,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “I think that’s the loudest I’ve heard Rec Hall in a long time, and we appreciate it. They get us points, and it was awesome.”

Despite Penn State dominating the first set, Creighton was not fazed by the loud fans at Rec Hall and responded by winning the second set. It also had the lead throughout most of the third set as the match started to slip away from the Nittany Lions.

However, whenever adversity struck this talented Penn State team during the third set, it found the resilience needed to overcome and fought all the way back to win a critical third set.

Penn State’s libero Gillian Grimes echoed Schumacher-Cawley’s sentiment as she appreciated the amount of fight the team had throughout all five sets.

“We practice all those points in practice, but I’m just speechless,” Grimes said. “[I’m] so proud of these girls and the fight that we had in all five sets. It was actually unreal to be out there.”

Despite going down 2-1, Crieghton never quit. It won the fourth set, which meant the Nittany Lions were entering a territory that they hadn’t entered since their match against UCLA on October 24: a five-set showdown.

Schumacher-Cawley said she had a lot of trust in her team to find a way to win the decisive fifth set.

“We put them in scoring positions every day in practice,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “I think it’s just trusting their skills, knowing that they’ve been in that situation and that they can find a way out of it.”

This match served as the last hurrah at Rec Hall for seniors like Jess Mruzik, who reflected on what it was like to play in that atmosphere throughout her time at Penn State.

Mruzik said that Rec Hall is a very special place and just like Schumacher-Cawley, appreciated the amount of support she got from the fans the entire season.

“It’s just awesome to win at home in front of them,” Mruzik said. “They do so much for us whether people want to admit it or not. They definitely affect the game, and it’s just nice to be able to repay them with a win.”

After taking advantage of its home-court advantage throughout the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Nittany Lions will make their semifinal appearance in Louisville, Kentucky, where a rematch against Nebraska awaits them. Despite beating Nebraska in its regular-season finale, this time Rec Hall will not be an advantage Penn State can maximize.

With no match against the Cornhuskers until Thursday, Schumacher-Cawley said the team will enjoy their win for a day but will start preparing for the showdown on Monday.

“We’ll make sure that the team’s prepared to compete and play and know what the game plan is,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “It’ll be a special match, and I know that if we compete and do the right things, we’ll find a way.”

With the team going to the semifinals for the first time in seven years, Grimes said the opportunity to go to Louisville means plenty.

“I’m just so proud of these girls that we got it done in Rec Hall,” Grimes said. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity and we’re not done.”