For the first time since 2014, Penn State knocked off Nebraska in a five-set thriller at Rec Hall this past Saturday, but if not for some outstanding defense, Penn State's recent trouble with Nebraska would have likely continued.
A closer look at the box score reveals the Cornhuskers led in every statistical category, except digs, where the Nittany Lions finished with an 89-87 edge.
Junior libero Kendall White, who recorded 25 digs Saturday, and freshman defensive specialist Jenna Hampton, who had seven digs, have been key cogs in anchoring the Nittany Lions' defense all season and have blossomed into an excellent duo in the back row.
"I think we executed very well," Hampton said of Saturday's match. "We were at the right spots at the right time and we made some big plays."
White also alluded to the fact that digs was the only statistic Penn State won Saturday night, but the defensive effort was the most important piece in knocking off its Big Ten foe.
"(Hampton) and I knew we were going to have to step up and make some plays," White said. "We have a lot of trust in each other and a great relationship on the court."
White, an AVCA Second-Team All-American last season as a sophomore, has grown into a more of a vocal leader this season as one of the more experienced players on the roster and has learned a lot about the different ways of motivating the younger players.
"I've learned to expand myself as a leader more this year," White said. "I'm very passionate and tend to talk very fast, so sometimes I just need to settle down and adjust my ways to different players since everyone is different in the way they are motivated and what drives them."
Hampton was an Under Armour All-American Second Team nominee as a senior in high school last year and has the talent to be the starting libero at many other schools in the country, even as a freshman.
White's presence as the incumbent libero, however, has limited her time on the court, but she has still managed to make a tremendous impact off the bench as a defensive specialist, and she has learned a lot from White through the first couple months of the season.
"(White) has definitely helped me a lot," Hampton said. "She's taught me a lot because she's been here for a few years now and has made it very easy for me."
Those that follow the program closely have become very familiar with White's aggressive and high motor style of play throughout her three years in the program. Enter Hampton, who immediately brought a similar type of urgent play style that quickly made many excited about the potential duo they could form in the back row.
The early experiments with White and Hampton on the court together though had its initial bumps, as both acknowledge that their attacking mentalities would often interfere with one another.
"We are both very aggressive," White said laughing. "We don't want to let anything hit the floor, and it's definitely been a process trying to figure out who wants to take what and who has a better angle on the ball, but when it comes down to it, we just want the ball up, and it doesn't matter how it's done."
Though there were some growing pains at first, White and Hampton have gotten better playing off each other as the season has progressed, which has allowed them to form a dominant duo at times.
"I think now we both know where we need to be and what we need to do," Hampton said. "It's been about more reps with each other, and we also come in early to talk a lot also about where we need to be and how we want to set up."
"A lot more communication has helped us," White said. "Also, when you play next to someone every day, you get a feel for their presence and what they can do versus what you can do. I think just balancing those things out has come very far since the beginning of the year."
