NEB VB: Huskers Rally From Down 0-2 To Stun No. 16 Penn State

(University Park, PA-UNL Athletic Department) The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team fought back from an 0-2 deficit to beat No. 16 Penn State 3-2 at Rec Hall on Friday night.

In front of the largest Penn State home crowd in 20 years (6,645), the Huskers stormed back after dropping the first two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-23. Nebraska turned it around in sets three and four, winning 25-18 and 25-20. In the fifth set, the Huskers led 8-3 but allowed Penn State to come back and tie the score, and it remained tied at 13-13 before Harper Murray and Merritt Beason recorded back-to-back kills to win the match and help the Huskers (22-0, 13-0 Big Ten) remain unbeaten. Penn State fell to 15-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten. 

The last time the Huskers came back from an 0-2 deficit to win in five sets was on March 12, 2021 against Ohio State at the Devaney Center. The last time the Huskers accomplished that feat in a true road match was Sept. 6, 2018 at Creighton. The Huskers won their seventh match in a row against Penn State.

Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting with five digs and three blocks. Her 27 kills tied Mikaela Foecke’s 27 kills in 2018 as the most by a Husker since 2013.  Murray finished with 15 kills and 14 digs and hit .379. Bekka Allick had a season-high 11 kills with a .381 hitting percentage and a team-high five blocks. Andi Jackson provided nine kills on .389 hitting with three blocks, and Ally Batenhorst finished with seven kills and four blocks. Bergen Reilly set the Huskers to a .288 hitting percentage with 52 assists and 13 digs. Lexi Rodriguez had 13 digs and a career-high 11 set assists.

Up Next: The Huskers will head to Rutgers for a match on Sunday at Noon (CT)