No. 16 Penn State women's volleyball is back on the court Thursday, taking on No. 1 Nebraska in its third Big Ten contest of the 2026 season.
The Nittany Lions come off a split weekend in Michigan after beating the Wolverines and falling to Michigan State the following day. Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley tested some players off the bench on Sunday, including setter Danielle Whitmire and defensive specialist Ava Jurevicius, but with the Cornhuskers coming to Rec Hall, expect to see Penn State's top players out there on the court.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Thursday night's match.
How to watch No. 16 Penn State vs. No. 1 Nebraska
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 1
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rec Hall (University Park, Pa.)
- How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
- Streaming: fuboTV
- Penn State record: 9-3 (1-1 Big Ten)
- Nebraska record: 13-0 (2-0 Big Ten)
Penn State vs. Nebraska series history
The Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers have played 43 games all-time. Nebraska leads the series 30-13, but Penn State has come up with some huge wins.
In 2024 when the Nittany Lions won the national championship, the semifinal match was almost taken by the Cornhuskers. Nebraska won the first two sets, and Penn State came back with the reverse sweep to take it in five and move onto the championship match.
In 2025, the Cornhuskers went 2-0 against the Nittany Lions.
Key Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers to watch
Penn State:
- Opposite hitter - Kennedy Martin
- Outside hitter - Whitney Lauenstein
- Middle blocker Ryla Jones
Penn State will need the absolute best out of Martin and Lauenstein. The two lead the team in kills with 160 and 107 on the season, respectively. Lauenstein is also tied for second-most aces on the team at 10 with Jones. Setter Alexis Stucky has the most with 11. Nebraska will be ready for both of these hitters, so tooling blocks and defending their own attack will be critical.
Jones has been a beast in the middle, and especially as a blocker. She has 45 total blocks (seven solo, 38 assists), sitting just behind fellow middle blocker Gabrielle Nichols who has 49. Both of them will be huge players up at the net when Penn State's on defense. Nebraska has a ton of firepower in its attackers, so that middle role for the Nittany Lions will have to play smart and be very particular with where they're positioning their blocks over the net.
Nebraska:
- Outside hitter - Harper Murray
- Middle blocker Andi Jackson
- Libero - Olivia Mauch
Speaking of firepower attackers, Murray leads the Cornhuskers with 122 kills. Jackson is behind her with 92. The two also have a good number of aces with 12 and 11 on the season, respectively. Both are also impactful as blockers, leading the team in that stat as well. Murray has 24 blocks on the season and Jackson has 46 (eight solo).
In the back row, Nebraska has two liberos it can turn to at any point in the game. Mauch has seen the most time so far this season and has logged 138 digs. At the service line, she has the second-most aces on the team with 13. In front of her is Laney Choboy with 15 aces and 80 digs.
Overall the Cornhuskers have a very well-rounded team thanks to a roster that can play multiple roles. All of their attackers and setter Bergen Reilly can manage defense, and there's not one player up at the net who can't put up a lethal block.
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