UNIVERSITYPARK, Pa. - For the first time since 2014, Penn State women's volleyball isback in the NCAA national semifinals, now just a day away from moving one matchcloser to a potentially historic ultimate outcome.
"Whateversport you play, this is what you should be dreaming about," Penn State headcoach Russ Rose said. "This is the platform, that's why you work hard, why youdo the things you do to try and get yourself in a position to compete for anational championship and to be in this case, one of four teams left."
TheNCAA national semifinal field couldn't be more stacked with perennial contenders,with the top-ranked Nittany Lions among three of four teams (Nebraska andStanford) to have won it all in the last four years.
Withindividuals from nearly every team bringing NCAA championship experience at thehighest level, there's no doubting both semifinal matchups have the potentialto be among the most memorable.
PennState has familiarity among both sides of the remaining contenders on each sideof the bracket. The Nittany Lions knocked off defending NCAA national champion No.3 Stanford twice in the early part of the season. Perhaps no opponent is morefamiliar than fifth-ranked Nebraska, a team that handed Penn State its onlyloss of the season so far.
"Whenthat happened we had a lot to learn from it," senior Heidi Thelen said. "Wejust had to focus on getting back in the gym the next day and knowing that westill have an entire season. Coach told us in that moment, if you win the restof your matches you can win the Big Ten and that's what we did, and now, hesaid if you win six more matches you can win a national championship."
Withthe Huskers owning wins in each of the last six outings, Nebraska also sentPenn State home in the NCAA regional semifinals last year, marking a secondstraight year the Nittany Lions departed the tournament in the round of 16.
"Weknow that our last two years we've gone out in the sweet 16 and it's somethingthat we've always wanted to come back to the final four and make it to thatfinal destination, but we're not done yet," senior first team All-American SimoneLee said. "That's always something we look to and hold in the back of our mindsthat even though we've reached our goal to be Big Ten champions and we'vereached our goal to get to Kansas City, now let's reach our goal to win thenational championship."
ForRose, among familiarity on the big stage and in the Big Ten, while it certainlyhelps, he looks toward the big picture.
"Idon't look at it as anything other than an opportunity to do somethinghopefully that these players will remember for the rest of their lives," Rosesaid.
Instead,when in the historic main gym of Rec Hall he tells the team to look up.
"Itell them to look up and see a lot of banners," Rose said. "Some banners thathave six or something championships - that a lot of people have come beforethem and worked really hard and they're representing the University and they'rerepresenting a lot of alumni who put a lot of time in when they weren'tchartering and getting all the bonuses and gifts the players get today."
Sewedon to one of those banners though is 2008, the year a then-top ranked PennState captured its second consecutive NCAA national championship with a straightset win against No. 2 Stanford to close out a perfect 38-0 record, a feat theNittany Lions would achieve once again the following year.
Toget to the title game though, the Nittany Lions took down a then-No. 4 Nebraskateam in an epic five-set victory in front of an NCAA record crowd of more than17,000 fans at the Quest Center in Omaha.
Itwas the last time the two teams have met in the NCAA national semifinals andsurely one many Nittany Lion faithful won't soon forget.
That'snot on the minds of this year's squad though, as the group of Nittany Lion seniorswill look to punctuate their Penn State careers the same way they opened themup - with a national championship crown of course.
Thisyear's Huskers have won each of their last 17 matches dating back to a 3-1 lossto Wisconsin in early October, earning a spot in the NCAA national semifinalswith a four-set win against fourth-seeded Kentucky last weekend.
Amongthe best nationally at stifling their opponents hitting percentage, Rose notedthe Huskers bring strength from the service line.
"Ithink the impact of their serve has a lot to do with limiting other people'soffensive numbers," Rose said. "I think their floor defense is really good.They don't block a lot of balls but certainly [Briana] Holman and [Lauren]Stivrins are strong blockers in the middle and I think [Mikaela] Foecke and [Annika]Albrecht block well. They're just a good team. All of the players play welltogether. Their libero's good. They bring a couple of defensive kids to shorethem up a little bit."
FourHuskers earned All-America honors this afternoon, including Albrecht, Foeckeand Holman, alongside senior setter Kelly Hunter, who earned a first teamselection.
"We'replaying a bunch of seniors and they've been playing the same lineup all year,"Rose said. "I don't think either team is hoping to do something different, Ithink both teams are hoping to play well and rely on their inherent strengths."
Firstserve between Penn State and Nebraska is set for 7 p.m. ET Thursday in thefirst of two NCAA national semifinals at the Sprint Center in Kansas City,Missouri. The matchup will broadcast live on ESPN with Karch Kiraly, PaulSunderland and Holly Rowe on the call.