Dec. 17, 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY - Making its seventh NCAA semifinal appearance in the past eight seasons, the fifth-seeded Nittany Lion women's volleyball team (34-3) is primed for a matchup against No. 1 Stanford (33-1) on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2).
Penn State practiced in Oklahoma City on Tuesday evening and again on Wednesday in preparation for the showdown against the Cardinal. The Nittany Lions marched past UCLA and Stanford in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament to punch a ticket to the national semifinals.
The Nittany Lions and Cardinal battled to a five-set match on Sept. 5, with Stanford notching a 3-2 victory. Both teams have improved since the early-season meeting, and head coach Russ Rose is looking forward to the matchup.
"It's great to still be playing," Rose said. "Our roster is a little different than the roster we had on the floor when we played them last. Certainly, they are much improved from the video I just saw (of recent matches)...They are setting really quick right now to the pins. And it's a veteran team."
In a matchup pitting two of the sport's best, Penn State and Stanford are the only two programs that have appeared in the NCAA Tournament during each of its 34 years in existence.
"This is Stanford and Penn State," Rose said. "They have been champions six times, and they haven't been to the final four in six years. This program is ready to get back where they have been before. They had the No. 1 recruiting class a few years ago, and these girls are juniors right now. They are hungry and very good."
The winner of the Penn State-Stanford match will move on to the national championship match against either BYU or Texas on Saturday in Oklahoma City.
"It's going to boil down to the teams that play the best; it's not always the best players," said Rose. "I think if we play our best, we have a chance. If we don't play our best, we got hot at the right time last year and had a veteran team."
Wednesday was open practice day for all four teams remaining on the draw. Penn State practiced for 90 minutes on Wednesday afternoon following a preview press conference. Take a look through Wednesday coverage from Oklahoma City as the Lion prep for their 12th NCAA semifinal appearance.