The Nittany Lions, who hadn’t been pushed passed a third set all season, proved they could handle the pressure and fatigue factors of a fifth set. Trying to complete an improbable comeback, Nebraska led 10-8 in the final set before a poised Penn State team emerged from a timeout and strung together six consecutive points to essentially seal the match and the Nittany Lions’ NCAA-record 64th straight victory.
With the win, the 37-0 Nittany Lions kept their perfect season alive and moved within one victory of becoming only the sixth women’s volleyball program in NCAA Division I history to repeat as national champions.
Penn State, which features six All-Americans in its lineup, hit .305 on the night, while Nebraska attacked at a .247 clip. The Nittany Lions cruised through the first two sets, winning 25-17 and 25-18. Penn State hit .403 over the first two sets while Nebraska struggled to a .169 mark. In sets three and four, the Huskers hit .348, while holding Penn State to a .203 attack percentage.
The Huskers’ improved efficiency set the stage for the fifth set, which featured seven ties and three lead changes. During the decisive 6-0 run that turned Nebraska’s two-point lead into a four-point deficit, the Huskers had three errors. Penn State had three blocks in the fifth set after recording just five blocks through the first three sets. The Nittany Lions showed their poise by committing just two total errors in the fifth set, while Nebraska had five. That was the difference, as both teams totaled nine kills in the final set.
Nicole Fawcett had a match-high 24 kills on .268 hitting for Penn State, while Megan Hodge added 23 kills and 12 digs for a double-double. Playing in her final match, Jordan Larson paced three Huskers in double-figure kills with 17. Nebraska’s all-time leader in double-doubles, Larson added another one on Thursday, as she added 18 digs. Tara Mueller finished with 15 kills, with Lindsey Licht adding 13.
After winning the first two sets, Penn State extended its streak of consecutive sets won to 111 in a row. The first set was tight early, as neither team led by more than one point until the 18th rally. From there, Penn State was able to pull away, starting with a run of four consecutive points to take an 11-8 lead. The Nittany Lions then won five of six points to take a 19-14 lead and Penn State took the set by winning five of the final six rallies. The Nittany Lions hit .371 in the set, led by six kills from Hodge and five from Fawcett. The Huskers spread the ball around with five players recording two kills, but Nebraska hit just .206.
Nebraska scored six of the first eight points in set two and led for much of the early going before Penn State came back. A 3-0 run gave the Nittany Lions their first lead at 15-13. Leading 18-16, Penn State scored six of the next seven points to set up six straight set points. Two rallies later, Hodge ended the set with her 13th kill of the night. The Nittany Lions had only two more kills than the Huskers in the set, but Penn State hit .444 compared to a .129 mark by Nebraska. PSU also totaled three blocks, as Nebraska was error-prone, finishing with eight attack errors and three service errors in the set.
The Huskers again came out strong in set three, jumping out to a 4-1 lead. Nebraska’s lead grew to as large as five before Penn State began to close the gap. The Nittany Lions pulled to within three at 11-8 before the Huskers erupted on an 11-1 run that gave Nebraska a 22-9 advantage. The Huskers had their first set point at 24-12 and after Penn State scored three straight points, a Nittany Lion attack error gave Nebraska the win. The Huskers limited their errors in the set, hitting .407. Penn State hit just .103 and finished with eight errors.
After falling behind early in the previous two sets, Penn State jumped out to a 3-2 lead in set four. The Nittany Lions continued to hold the Huskers at bay until Nebraska used a 6-0 run with Rachel Schwartz on serve to pull in front, 16-14. The teams traded side outs until Penn State scored two straight points to tie the set at 19. Nebraska responded with two straight points of its own, as Mueller’s ace put the Huskers in front 21-19 and forced a Penn State timeout. Following the timeout, the Nittany Lions won an amazing rally to force a Husker timeout. The teams again traded side outs before a Larson kill gave Nebraska a set point at 24-21. Penn State was able to side out before a Larson kill sent the match to a fifth and deciding set.
In set five, each team sided out until Penn State posted three straight points to take a 5-3 lead and force a Nebraska timeout. A block pushed the run to 4-0 before three straight Husker points tied the set at six. Nebraska won a long rally to earn an 8-6 advantage as the teams switched sides of the court, before Penn State tied it again. Nebraska then ran off back-to-back points to force a Nittany Lion timeout with the Huskers in front 10-8. Penn State came out of the timeout with six straight points to set up a match point and Hodge closed out the match two rallies later with a kill.
Nebraska, co-champions of the Big 12 Conference, ended its season with a 31-3 record. The Huskers had their 96-match winning streak in the state of Nebraska snapped, as Nebraska fell for the first time in 14 all-time matches at the Qwest Center.
2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship Quote Sheet
Dec. 18, 2008 - National Semifinal #2
Penn State Quotes
Head Coach Russ Rose
Opening Statement
“I thought it was a match that had a couple different paths in it. The first couple of games we were controlling the ball well and hitting. 400. The subsequent games we had difficulty passing. I thought our outside hitters got tired. But we found a way to win. At the end of the match we had a server who found a seam. I thought we competed hard. I was pleased. It’s a good opponent with an incredibly tough venue to play in with 17,000 people. We feel very fortunate to have had the ability to come back and play well and win the match.”
Head Coach Russ Rose
About calling the timeout down 10-8 in fifth set – strategy or emotion
“We were in trouble before 10-8. I thought the crowd made such an energy boost to Nebraska. They were always going to be in the match. We needed to seize control and really put them away. We did that in the first couple of games. It’s a long game in a sequence like that. We needed to get a side out and get a point and we were able to do that.”
Head Coach Russ Rose
About playing Stanford
“It means we won the match tonight. We didn’t really care about losing games. The goal is to win the match. Stanford showed a lot of fight after being down 2-0 to Texas. We’re familiar with their roster as they’re familiar with ours. I think it will be a less taxing match unless the entire crowd is for Stanford in the next match.”
Nicole Fawcett
About what was going through her mind when PSU was down 10-9 and she stepped back to serve
“I think that the biggest thing that was going through my mind was getting points. At the end we were really focused. Just keep it going and keep the momentum going our way was real important.”
Alisha Glass
About losing a set for the first time this season
“You have to take it one set at a time. We always talk, even when we’re down a set in a game. Coach always says if you lose this one it’s going to be OK. I know you’re going to come out swinging with the next one. The ultimate goal is to win the match.”
Christa Harmotto
About losing a set for the first time this season.
“I think Nebraska came out strong in that third game. They were pushing some points on us. Then they put the pressure on. I thought we fought hard. Nebraska is a great opponent. In those situations that’s what playing in these types of environment is all about. I thought we came together as a team. We’re excited to play for the national championship.”
Megan Hodge
About whether or not she was tired
“I felt OK. You have so much adrenaline. You have 17,000 people out there so you’re going to play hard just because of the situation.”
2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship Quote Sheet
Dec. 18, 2008 - National Semifinal #2
Nebraska Cornhuskers Quotes
Head Coach John Cook
Tara Mueller, Amanda Gates & Jordan Larson
Head Coach John Cook
Opening Statement
“I want to thank our fans. I got a chance to catch the five o’clock news and I know there was a storm coming in and ice. I saw people ready to camp out if they had to, to be at this match tonight. I know it’s a hard night’s travel and we broke an attendance record. It’s just an awesome statement for the state of Nebraska and how they support our team.
“I thought it was a great match tonight, we had our chances to finish it at the end, but Penn State is a great team. I don’t think anybody thought at the beginning of the year that we would be in the (NCAA Semifinal) and of the three teams besides Nebraska here, we beat two of them and had a shot to beat the third. But there is a reason they are defending champions and they showed it at the end of game five.”
“The other thing I told the team was that I think next week, I’m not sure anyone is going to remember if we won or lost this match. All they’re going to remember is that these three seniors and this team wore the Nebraska uniform. That is what they are going to remember. I have never had so much fun coaching a match as we had tonight.”
Head Coach John Cook
On the effect of the five-set rally by Stanford in the earlier match
“I don’t think it had any bearing on our match, I was worried after the first two games against Penn State and we were in trouble. I told the team at the beginning of game three that I just told the whole country on national TV that we were going make a come back and win this so let’s go. I think they gave a great effort. You saw us play last week, this team competes every point and they never quit.”
Head Coach John Cook
On the hustle plays
“We won our share of them, but that is what impressed me the most about Penn State, they are a huge physical team, but they really do a great job of bettering the ball. In those long rallies they’re getting great swings out of chaos plays. But our team was very good at that as well tonight. We did a great job and that allowed us to stay in that match and have a shot to win it. I think the symbolic point in the match was when Lindsey Licht one handed that thing back over, I hope that thing makes ESPN’s Top Ten.”
Jordan Larson
On the lasting impression of this season
“I think everything that started back in January. We had a lot of stuff going on, we found a way to be great and we never gave up. There were times in this game that we could have gave up, very easily. This team has heart, we weren’t done and I think we left it all out there. We should be proud and hold our heads high.”
Head Coach John Cook
On the importance of the camouflage jacket
“After we lost at Colorado, we decided that we had to fight a lot harder when teams came at us and that was really our first punch in the gut, the match that we had. So the next day at practice, to use as a metaphor, we brought in the camo. It was in every practice and actually traveled with us for the rest of the year. Kori [Cooper] just happened to bring it on the bench and wear it against Washington and so it stayed. But it’s been with us since the Colorado match to remind us how hard we have to fight as a team and it is a great metaphor for us.”
Head Coach John Cook
On losing the momentum when leading at 10-8 in set five
“Penn State forces you to play at such a high level, and I told our team that they are going to dare us to be great. If you just give them an inch they make you pay. It was the difference in putting the ball right to Sydney [Anderson] and pulling her off a little bit. That was the defining moment of the match right there, that little run. When you get to the end of game five, you can’t give up a little run, that cost us.”
Tara Mueller
On her diving dig that preceded Lindsey Licht’s
“Everyone was just not going to let that ball drop, no matter where it was. That is the kind of effort that we try to play with all the time. It definitely sums up this team and how bad we fight and how bad we play for each other, we’ll get anything up.”
Head Coach John Cook
On mentioning this was the most fun he had coaching in one match
“We have a saying in coaching, when the sum of a team is better than its parts, that is the greatest joy, in my opinion, in coaching. That is what I talk about in coaching clinics and to young coaches. If you can get a team to do that, it is a true measure of a great coaching job and this team did it. You just can’t help but fall in love with this team. This whole night tonight, realizing we were in front of a huge crowd, we’re playing maybe the greatest team ever, we’ll find out Saturday night. A team that hadn’t lost a set and we’re just battling every point. I tell them to have fun and enjoy it, soak in every minute and it was just so much fun. Penn State is such a great team and they force you to play at such a high level, and I saw our team rise to that challenge tonight.”
Jordan Larson
On summing up her career
“It’s been an exciting journey these last four years. I’m glad to end my career in the Qwest, in Nebraska. This is where I started and this is where I ended. I was just a small town girl that was happy to be at the University, it’s been a big deal.”
Amanda Gates
On summing up her career
“This experience has definitely been such a blessing. This journey and this team meant so much to me and having a national championship in 2006. [This team] led up to so many expectations that nobody had. Believing in ourselves is what got us here. I’m just so proud of our team, and I don’t want it to end. Like Jordan (Larson) said, we started here and we ended here so we couldn’t ask for anything more.”
2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship
Match Notes
-- Tonight’s semifinal attendance was 17,430, an NCAA record.
-- A total of 94,083 people have attended the tournament so far. 48,395 attended matches at first and second round site, while 28,258 attended regional matches.
2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship
Penn State Notes
-- Penn State’s NCAA all divisions NCAA record of 111 consecutive sets won was broken when Nebraska took the third set of the match. Penn State had come into the match with the record at 109 and took the first two sets 25-17 and 25-18 to extend the mark. However, Nebraska came back to win the third set 25-15. The Nittany Lions had not lost a set since last year’s national championship match, sweeping their previous 36 matches this year by 3-0 scores.
-- Penn State extended their NCAA Division I record for consecutive matches won to 69. Penn State has not tasted defeat since losing 3-2 to Stanford on Sept. 15 last season. They won their last 25 matches in a row last year en route to the national championship. They have also won all 37 of their matches in 2008.
-- Penn State came into the match leading the country in blocks per set for the season (3.28) and also averaging nearly 4.0 blocks per set in the NCAA tournament. They managed just 8.0 total blocks in the match.
-- The Nittany Lions had team season highs of 66 kills, 64 assists and 67 digs tonight.
-- Junior outside hitter Megan Hodge downed a season-best 23 kills. She contributed 24.5 points, hit .383 and added 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the year.
-- Junior setter Alisha Glass leads all Division I volleyball players in assists this season with a 12.50 assist per game average. She dished out a season-high 60 assists tonight. She also tied her season high with 10 digs for her second double-double of the season, while adding four total blocks.
-- Senior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett led all players with 26 points and a season-high 24 kills.
-- Senior middle hitter Christa Harmotto, who ranks first in the nation in hitting percentage, connected at a .333 clip. She matched Glass’ four total blocks to lead Penn State.
-- Senior libero Roberta Holehouse had a match-high and season-best 22 digs, while sophomore defensive specialist added 11.
2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship
Nebraska Notes
-- The loss was the Huskers’ first loss in the state of Nebraska in 96 matches.
-- Despite the loss, Nebraska still leads the series between the schools 11-6.
-- Nebraska’s 64 kills and 59 assists were the Huskers’ third-best totals of the season.
-- This was Nebraska’s first neutral site loss of the year, after winning their first five matches.
-- This was just the second time this season that a team has had more kills and the fourth time that a team had a better hitting percentage than the Huskers. It was also just the fifth time that a Nebraska opponent has hit higher than .200 against them.
-- Senior outside hitter Jordan Larson had one service ace to extend her school career record to 186.
-- Larson had 17 kills and 18 digs for her 17th double-double of the season to go with her team-high 20.5 points. Larson finished her career with 1,600 career kills and 55 double-doubles. Nebraska went 52-3 in Larson’s career when she recorded a double-double.
-- Senior middle blocker Amanda Gates hit .467 and had five total blocks and 12.0 points in the contest.
-- Sophomore outside hitter Tara Mueller and sophomore right side Lindsey Licht added 15 and 13 kills and 16 and 14 points, respectively.
-- Sophomore libero Kayla Banwarth contributed 14 digs on defense.
-- Sophomore setter Sydney Anderson handed out 51 assists. It marked the fifth time in 2008 that Anderson posted 50 or more assists, including three times in the NCAA Tournament.