For a brief teaching moment, two generations of NFL defensive stars put college rivalries aside.
Russ Rose's Nittany Lions finished painstakingly short of their ultimate goal, dropping a seventh straight match against Nebraska Thursday in Kansas City.
It's the first time the Nittany Lions have reached the national semifinals since 2014 -- falling in the Sweet 16 each of the last two years.
Dating back to 1981, the two schools have met 30 times leading up to Thursday night's clash. Nebraska leads the series 20-10, with six-straight wins coming against the Nittany Lions. The Cornhuskers own a 7-3 edge in NCAA Tournament meetings, but Penn State has taken the only two matchups in the Final Four.
Long before it became the record holder for NCAA Volleyball Championships, the team appeared to have another adoring fan -- Whitney Houston.
Haleigh Washington and Simone Lee again earned AVCA first-team selections, while Kendall White took home second-team recognition.