No. 16 Penn State women's volleyball was swept by No. 1 Nebraska, 3-0, on Thursday night. The Nittany Lions put up a great fight, but ultimately came up short in every set.
There are a couple winners that deserve some recognition from this match and one big loser, despite it being an obvious one.
Winner: Whitney Lauenstein
Lauenstein is the firepower driving this Penn State squad. She's proven it match after match, and she doesn't even need to be the top point-scorer to prove it. Like usual, opposite hitter Kennedy Martin led the team in kills and points with 18 for both. Lauenstein had 13 kills and 14 points, including two block assists. She also had three digs.
When Lauenstein is on the court, her energy is felt. She's the one getting Penn State on a scoring run and getting her team to play fast and confident. Lauenstein is a frequent winner for every match she's played in, and Nebraska was no different. She steps up everyone's game when she's on the court.
Winner: Kendall Northern
Middle blocker Ryla Jones is out for a few weeks due to a knee injury she sustained against Michigan State on Sunday. That's a big loss for Penn State given her presence up there at the net as an attacker, blocker, and experienced player in the NCAA.
On Thursday against the top team in the country, true freshman Kendall Northern got her first start and was one of just two middle blockers available for the Nittany Lions. Northern had a few mistakes, especially when things got dicey, but she held her own up there pretty well.
She had three kills and zero errors on four attacks and also had a block. Northern didn't have a crazy stat line, clearly, but she had a great presence as a blocker. She had a good connection with Lauenstein blocking Nebraska's opposite attacks, and stepping in as a true freshman is a tough task in general.
Loser: Penn State
The Nittany Lions lost this match, but that's not the reason they're listed as the loser on this list.
In a different circumstance, Penn State came away as a winner. If this was the 2025 season with sets this close, then yes, the blue and white had a win. It's 2026, though, and the team has a ton of firepower. Letting the No. 1 team in the country get hot and only ever being on the cusp of taking a set away from the Cornhuskers is proof that the Nittany Lions can't compete with the best.
The Big Ten is a beast this season in college volleyball, so moral victories don't cut it anymore. This is a great foundation to build on. Penn State has weapons in Lauenstein, Martin, and setter Alexis Stucky with a ton of depth off the bench. It can win games and it can keep that score close. When the Nittany Lions get hot, they're dangerous. But when the opposing team gets hot, it takes Penn State a few points to rally itself back together.
Add us as a preferred source on Google