No. 16 Penn State women's volleyball is struggling to stay afloat among ranked teams early in the season. The Nittany Lions (7-5, 1-1 Big Ten) dropped one spot down ahead of their next matchup against an all-too-familiar, dangerous team.
Penn State is set to face No. 1 Nebraska on Friday night. The last time these two teams met, the Nittany Lions crushed the Cornhuskers' (12-0, 2-0 Big Ten) dreams of a national title in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Semifinals. Penn State reverse swept its Big Ten rival and also secured a spot next to Nebraska to become co-Big Ten champions at the end of the regular season when the blue and white beat the Cornhuskers.
Now in meeting again for the first time in 2025, both have something to prove. Nebraska seeks revenge from the 2024 season, but for Penn State, it's all about proving that it is once again a championship-level team.
If the Nittany Lions stop the Cornhuskers' so far undefeated season, it'll be a statement win for them and give them the much-needed burst of energy and confidence moving forward.
Penn State volleyball struggled early in 2025 season and has its most daunting matchup against Nebraska Friday night
Penn State has its returners, has the talent, and has the drive. Against TCU, it almost pulled off a reverse sweep, but fell in the fifth set. The team had the momentum and desire to steal the win. Falling short in a battle like that isn't as devastating. When it continues, though, that's when confidence falters.
The Nittany Lions performed messy in their first 12 games, win or lose. There are far too many times when they get out of system and can't stabilize. On serve-receive, the back row is off target too much for setter Addie Lyon who stepped in as their starter once star Izzy Starck stepped away from the season.
That's nothing to say of Lyon's ability as the playmaker. However, at five-feet-nine-inches, there are natural deficits to her game. When she's front row, opponents have an easier time attacking because they're going up against, realistically, one blocker. Lyon can't reach a high enough vertical compared to her teammates, like six-foot-six-inch Kennedy Martin or six-foot-five-inch Maggie Mendelson.
That natural weakness to her game is something the defense hasn't made up for, even though it knows the strong attack is coming. Making Lyon's job easier is how Penn State can score points — it's how any team scores points. It all starts with the back row. If those players are disciplined, focused, and spot on, Lyon can comfortably set, make a play, and set her hitter up for success.
From there, the bells and whistles with Martin, Mendelson, Caroline Jurevicius, Alexis Ewing, Jordan Hopp, and Emmi Sellman come in. Yes, there are attack errors, just like their opponents, but those decrease the better the defense gets.
Penn State is the underdog for Friday's match. It's not impossible to pull out a win, but one defensive error, service error, or attack error can't pile up one after another. The Nittany Lions need to put the last point behind them and put the national championship year behind them. They're a younger team in terms of starters. Regardless of who was there for the title in 2024, it's a new team and a new season. It's time for Penn State to prove itself this time around too.