UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 16 Penn State Women’s Volleyball continues Big Ten play this weekend with a big-time home match against Nebraska on Friday and the team's first true road match of the season Sunday. Friday's match against the Cornhuskers is scheduled for 8 p.m. on FOX, while Sunday's contest with the Terrapins starts at 4 p.m. on B1G Network.
FAN INFO
• FAN INFO - Please see this link for important information that includes ticketing, parking, and bag policy for the venue.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Oct. 3 | 8 p.m.
No. 1 Nebraska (12-0, 2-0 B1G) at No. 16 Penn State (7-5, 1-1 B1G) | Live Stats | FOX
Sunday, Oct. 5 | 4 p.m.
No. 16 Penn State (7-5, 1-1 B1G at Maryland (7-5, 0-2 B1G) | Live Stats | B1G Network
OPENING NOTES
• Penn State wraps up its nine-match homestand when it hosts No. 1 Nebraska on Friday at 8 p.m. on FOX. The match features the two teams that shared the Big Ten title last season. The Nittany Lions received the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament based off its four-set win over the Cornhuskers during the final week of the regular season. They went on to post a thrilling reverse sweep over the Huskers in the NCAA National Semifinal on the way to winning the program’s eighth national title. The Huskers remained with five national titles as their championship drought increased to seven years.
• Penn State is 53-7 at Rec Hall in Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s four seasons as head coach. The Nittany Lions went a perfect 20-0 at home last season.
• The Nittany Lions averaged 4,138 fans through its first eight home matches.
• Following the home match with Nebraska on Friday, Penn State travels for its first true road match of the season when it plays at Maryland on Sunday at 4 p.m. on B1G Network.
• The match against the Terrapins is the Nittany Lions’ first outside of Happy Valley since playing in the State Farm Women’s Volleyball Showcase in Pittsburgh on Aug. 31-Sept. 1. It will be the team’s first match outside of Pennsylvania since playing in the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Lincoln, Nebraska and Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Aug. 23-25.
SERIES HISTORY - NEBRASKA
• Penn State is 13-28 in the all-time series with Nebraska. The teams first played in 1981.
• The Nittany Lions beat the Cornhuskers twice last season. The first was by a 3-1 score at Rec Hall to clinch a share of the program’s 18th Big Ten title. Caroline Jurevicius had her best match of the season in the win, hitting .414 with 18 kills and two blocks. Maggie Mendelson contributed eight kills and six blocks.
• Penn State’s second win over Nebraska last season came in one of the most memorable matches in NCAA Tournament history. The Nittany Lions trailed 2-0 in the match and then later fell behind 22-16 in the fourth set before rallying for a 3-2 win in the NCAA National Semifinal. Caroline Jurevicius hit .286 with 20 kills and four blocks in the win. Gillian Grimes racked up 25 digs and just missed a double-double with nine assists. Following the win over Nebraska, Penn State went on to beat Louisville 3-1 to win the National Championship. The Cardinals were coached by current Nebraska head coach Dani Busboom Kelly.
• The Nittany Lions are 2-3 against the Huskers under head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
• Penn State is 5-6 against the Cornhuskers at Rec Hall, including their most recent match, which was a 3-1 win last season.
• Caroline Jurevicius has hit .338 with 4.22 kills/set in her two career matches against the Huskers.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
• Nebraska is 12-0 and 2-0 in the Big Ten following back-to-back sweeps over Michigan and Maryland.
• The Huskers are 5-0 in ranked matchups this season. They beat No. 3 Pittsburgh, No. 6 Stanford, No. 7 Kentucky, No. 22 Utah, and No. 18 Creighton.
• Nebraska was picked first in the Big Ten Preseason Poll.
• Four Huskers - senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick, junior middle blocker Andi Jackson, junior outside hitter Harper Murray, and junior setter Bergen Reilly – were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
• Both Murray and Reilly were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List, as well.
SERIES HISTORY - MARYLAND
• Penn State is 35-5-1 in the all-time series with Maryland. The teams first played in 1976.
• The Nittany Lions have won 32 straight matches in the series, including two 3-1 wins last season.
• Penn State is 11-2 against Maryland in College Park.
• The Nittany Lions are 5-0 against the Terrapins under head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley.
• Gillian Grimes has averaged 3.21 digs/set in five career matches against Maryland. She has found success at the service line against the Terrapins, racking up 11 aces in those five matches.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
• Maryland is 7-5 and 0-2 in the Big Ten following losses to Iowa and Nebraska.
• The Terrapins were picked 16th in the Big Ten Preseason Poll.
• Earlier this season, Duru Gökçen was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, the program’s first recipient in three years.
• The Terrapins are coached by Adam Hughes, a 2006 Penn State graduate who spent nine seasons with the Nittany Lions as a student manager, volunteer assistant, and director of operations.
STREAKS TO WATCH
Ava Falduto
· 5 straight matches with at least one ace
Gillian Grimes
· 6 straight matches with double-digit digs
· 76 straight starts at libero
Emmi Sellman
· 2 straight matches with double-doubles
Kennedy Martin
· 63 straight matches with double-digit kills when playing at least three sets
Maggie Mendelson
· 5 straight matches with at least five kills and five blocks
NATIONAL RANKING STREAK
• Penn State was ranked No. 16 in the latest AVCA Poll.
• The Nittany Lions have been ranked in 556 consecutive AVCA Coaches Polls, which dates back to the final poll of the 1988 season.
CAREER HIGHS SET LAST WEEK
vs. #17 USC
Lexi Gin - assists (1)
vs. UCLA
Kennedy Martin - kills (34)
Jocelyn Nathan - kills (1)
UP NEXT
• No. 16 Penn State returns home to continue Big Ten play against Wisconsin on Friday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. on B1G Network. It will be the team's annual White Out match. The Nittany Lions will continue their homestand against Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. in a match that will steam on B1G+.
The 2025 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by Musselman's.