Penn State Women’s Volleyball Clinches 18th Big Ten Championship in Thrilling Win Over Nebraska

Penn State Women’s Volleyball Clinches 18th Big Ten Championship in Thrilling Win Over Nebraska

November 30, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor Sports

Penn State Women’s Volleyball Clinches Big Ten Title

Penn State’s No. 4 Women’s Volleyball team secured at least a share of the Big Ten title by defeating No. 2 Nebraska 3-1 (25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 25-23) at Rec Hall on Friday night. This victory marks the 18th time in program history that the Nittany Lions have claimed the Big Ten championship.

Redshirt freshman Caroline Jurevicius led the way with a career-high 18 kills, hitting .414. This win also gave Penn State its first Big Ten title since 2017, extending its total to nine more conference championships than any other team. Penn State finished the regular season at 29-2 overall and 19-1 in the Big Ten. Nebraska ended with a record of 28-2 and 18-1 in the conference.

In addition to Jurevicius, Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik contributed 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Maggie Mendelson added eight kills, and Taylor Trammell finished with six. Setter Izzy Starck earned 46 assists and recorded 11 digs for a double-double.

Defensively, Penn State held Nebraska to .154 hitting, the lowest percentage for the Huskers this season. The Nittany Lions have held opponents under .200 hitting 24 times this season, including in 15 of 16 matches at Rec Hall.

Mendelson and Starck each had six blocks, leading the team to a total of 10 blocks. Gillian Grimes led in digs with 12, supported by Starck, Mruzik, and Ava Falduto, who each recorded 10 digs.

For Nebraska, Andi Jackson led with 10 kills and contributed to eight blocks. Harper Murray added a double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs.

Match Summary:

  • Set 1: Penn State won 25-21, with Jurevicius and Mendelson leading the score.
  • Set 2: Nebraska dominated, winning 25-14, holding Penn State to -0.079 hitting.
  • Set 3: Penn State rebounded with a 25-22 win, highlighted by Jurevicius’s strong hitting.
  • Set 4: The Nittany Lions clinched the match 25-23 with a strong performance from Jurevicius and Hannah.

Next Steps:
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

Career Highlights:

  • Caroline Jurevicius set a career high with 18 kills.
  • Jocelyn Nathan recorded a career-high nine digs.

For fans, championship shirts are available for purchase to celebrate this victory.