UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State is set to compete in a first-of-its-kind event for women’s volleyball when it joins SMU, Florida, and Nebraska for Spikes Under the Lights at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Nittany Lions play SMU in the semifinal round at 9 p.m. ET. The winner plays the winner between Florida and Nebraska in the championship match at 10 p.m. ET.
Two semifinal matches and a championship will be played in a best-of-three-set format at the 100,000-seat venue. The primetime event will take place over three hours, including a concert between the semifinals and championship match.
The event features a $1M payout to be divided between the four teams, with the winner receiving the largest share. All matches will air live on TNT.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Thursday, Aug. 27 | 9 p.m. ET
No. 10 Penn State (0-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. No. 11 SMU(0-0, 0-0 ACC) | TNT
SERIES HISTORY - SMU
• Penn State and SMU have never played an official match against each other.
SERIES HISTORY - FLORIDA
• Penn State is 8-4 in the all-time series with Florida. The teams first played in 1986.
• Florida won the most recent matchup in 2023. Kennedy Martin was the starting right side and Alexis Stucky was the starting setter for the Gators in that match.
• The Nittany Lions won the three matchups prior to that, beating the Gators in 2009, 2010, and 2013.
• Thursday’s exhibition will not count toward the official series history.
SERIES HISTORY - NEBRASKA
• Nebraska leads 30-13 in the all-time series with Penn State. The teams first played in 1981.
• The Huskers won both matches between the teams last season, while the Nittany Lions won two matches against the Huskers in 2024. The first of those two wins by the Nittany Lions clinched a share of the Big Ten title, while the second was a reverse sweep in the NCAA National Semifinal.
• Thursday’s ehibition would not count toward the official series history.
PRESEASON ALL-B1G
• Both Kennedy Martin and Alexis Stucky were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
• Martin has now made it in each of her two seasons at Penn State, while Stucky earned the award prior to her first season with the Nittany Lions.
• Martin was one of just four unanimous selections.
2026 CAPTAINS
• Kennedy Martin, Jocelyn Nathan, and Alexis Stucky were named team captains for the 2026 season. All three are first-time Penn State captains.
UP NEXT
• Penn State officially opens the 2026 season when it hosts UConn, High Point, and Hofstra for the Penn State Invitational on Aug. 28-30.
• The Nittany Lions open the event, and the season, against UConn at Rec Hall on Aug. 29. The match is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET on B1G Network.
- The 2026 Penn State women's volleyball season is presented by Musselman's.