How to Watch Nebraska Volleyball at No. 4 Penn State & Maryland: Previews, Breakdowns, TV Channel

The No. 2 Huskers can win their second-straight Big Ten title with a victory Friday at No. 4 Penn State.

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a point against Michigan. / Nebraska Volleyball

It’s been an eventful week for the No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team. 

First was Saturday night when the Huskers swept No. 6 Wisconsin for the second time this season, putting the momentum of the rivalry squarely with NU for the first time in a decade. 

Setter Bergen Reilly once again was rewarded for her efforts as she was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the second consecutive time on Monday. She collected her fifth weekly honor of the season after averaging 12.83 assists per set, which included 41 assists, eight digs, three kills and three blocks in a sweep over Iowa. 

Later Monday, three Huskers were drafted in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation – Merritt Beason at No. 1 overall to the Atlanta Vibe, Lindsay Krause at No. 19 overall to her hometown Omaha Supernovas and Leyla Blackwell at No. 26 overall to the San Diego Mojo. Former Husker Ally Batenhorst will join Krause with the Supernovas in Omaha. 

Now, NU sets its sights on a second-straight Big Ten title, which it can clinch with a win over No. 4 Penn State on the road Friday night in a titanic battle that’s been building since the midway point of conference play. 

Here’s all you need to know as Nebraska ends the regular season back east. 

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: No. 2 Nebraska (28-1, 18-0 B1G) at No. 4 Penn State (28-2, 18-1 B1G) 
• When: Friday, November 29
• Where: Rec Hall, University Park, PA
• Time: 4 p.m. CST 
• Watch: Big Ten Network 
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Wisconsin opposite Devyn Robinson (10) and middle blocker Caroline Crawford (9) attempt to block the shot from Penn State outside hitter Jess Mruzik (9) during an NCAA Regional Volleyball semifinal match on Dec. 7, 2023 at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State Scout

Head Coach: Katie Schumacher-Cawley | 3rd Season at PSU; 12th as Head Coach | 76-19 (.800) at Penn State; 201-165 (.549) as Head Coach | Two-time AVCA All-American and 1999 National Championship at Penn State as a player | Previous head coach stops at UIC and Penn.

2023 Record: 23-9 (15-5 B1G, T-3rd) | 1x Second-Team AVCA All-American | 2x First Team All-Big Ten, 1x Second Team All-Big Ten | L, 3-1 to Wisconsin in the Madison Regional Semifinal.

All-Time Series: Nebraska Leads 28-11 (Nov. 3, 2023 last matchup, 3-2 NU) 

Fun Fact: Nebraska has dominated the series with PSU, winning the last seven matches and 14 of the last 15. The Nittany Lions last beat the Huskers in 2018 with a five-set win at home. Penn State hasn’t beaten Nebraska away from State College since 1999.

Key Returners: Jess Mruzik, OH, Gr. | Camryn Hannah, OH, Gr. | Taylor Trammell, MB, Gr. | Alexa Markley, OH/RS, Jr. | Gillian Grimes, L/DS, Jr. 

Key Additions: Maggie Mendelson, MB, Jr. (Nebraska) | Caroline Jurevicius, OH/RS, R-Fr. (Nebraska) | Izzy Starck, S, Fr. (Recruit) | Ava Falduto, L/DS, Fr. (Recruit).

Key Departures: Mac Podraza, S (Eligibility) | Allie Holland, MB, Gr. (Charleston) | Zoe Weatherington, OH/RS (Eligibility) | Maddy Bilinovic, L/DS, Gr. (Creighton).

Outlook: It’s been a special season for the Nittany Lions, who have put itself in the top tier of college volleyball in the third season of Katie Schumacher-Cawley. The former Penn State national champion and all-american scuffled in her first two seasons, despite both seasons ending with Regional Semifinal appearances. However, PSU did not look like a contender in either season. She has flipped the script this season, putting the Nittany Lions in a position to win the Big Ten for the first time since 2017 if they can beat Nebraska Friday night.  

Despite the on-court success, the program was devastated with the news of Schumacher-Cawley being diagnosed with breast cancer. Yet, she’s continued to lead the Nittany Lions and has them competing for a national top-four seed when it comes to selection Sunday. 

Penn State players celebrate a point over Kansas during the second set of Friday's NCAA D1 Volleyball Second Round inside Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. / Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

A trio of fifth-year players lead PSU with outside hitter Jess Mrusik spearheading the offense with 4.28 kills per set, which is fifth in the conference, while also adding 2.37 digs per set. Camryn Hannah is the secondary attacker for the Nittany Lions at 3.59 kills per set on an effective .291 hitting percentage with 20 aces. Taylor Trammell finishes out the trio as the middle blocker is averaging 2.10 kills per set on a .446 clip while providing stellar defense at the net with 105 blocks. 

A pair of Nebraska transfers have made a major impact in their first seasons in Happy Valley. Typically third on the depth chart in Lincoln, Maggie Mendelson has shown out as the leading middle for PSU, leading the team with 117 total blocks which is eighth in the Big Ten. She’s also putting down 2.05 kills per set on a .322 clip to form a fearsome duo with Trammell. Opposite Caroline Jurevicius transferred after her redshirt season with Nebraska and has seen action in 91 sets this year with 1.79 kills per set and 64 blocks. 

Although, freshman setter Izzy Starck has made a similar impact that Husker setter Reilly did with Nebraska season. The No. 1 overall recruit of the 2024 class, Starck has a 11.00 assists per set mark (3rd in B1G) with 2.53 digs per set (2nd on team), 76 blocks (3rd on team) and 16 aces. 

The Nittany Lions’ floor defense isn’t too shabby either with returning junior Gillian Grimes leading the way (3.89 D/S) at libero with a team-high 32 aces. She’s aided by freshman defensive specialist Ava Falduto (2.24 D/S) and Quinn Menger who comes off the bench as a serving sub with 21 aces on the season. 

Ever since sweeping Wisconsin in early November, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Nebraska and Penn State would come together to decide the Big Ten title. PSU’s only two losses are sweeps by No. 1 Pittsburgh and the Badgers, so off nights have been few and far between. Starck has played at an all-american level as a freshman with Penn State hitting .289 on the season as the Nittany Lions lead the conference in kills, kills per set, assists and assists per set. But the Huskers have been on a mission and look unstoppable. Being on the road will have its effect here, but here’s my prediction on NU claiming its second-straight conference title with a four-set win.  

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: No. 2 Nebraska (28-1, 18-0 B1G) at Maryland (13-16, 4-14 B1G) 
• When: Saturday, November 30
• Where: Xfinity Center, College Park, MD.
• Time: 6 p.m. CST 
• Watch: Big Ten Network 
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and affiliates

Maryland Scout

Head Coach: Adam Hughes | 7th Season at Maryland | 101-108 (.483) at school | Previous assistant coach roles at Penn State and UC Irvine. 

2023 Record: 17-15 (7-13 B1G, 11th) | Did not qualify for the postseason.

All-Time Series: Nebraska Leads 19-0 (Oct. 27, 2023 last matchup, 3-0 NU) 

Fun Fact: Nebraska has yet to be defeated by Maryland with 14 of the 19 previous matches ending up in sweeps by NU. Dating back to 2016, 10 of the last 12 matches between both schools have been sweeps by the Huskers. 

Key Returners: Samantha Schnitta, OPP, Gr. | Laila Ivey, OH, Jr. | Lilly Gunter, L, Gr. | Jonna Spohn, DS, Soph. | Sydney Dowler, S, Gr. | Eva Rohrbach, MB, Soph. | Sam Csire, OH, Gr. | Anastasia Russ, MB, Gr. 

Key Additions: Skylar Gerhardt, OH, Soph. (Villanova).

Key Departures: Laila Ricks, OPP, Gr. (Wake Forest) | Erin Engel, S, Sr. (Florida).

Outlook: Going into 2024, head coach Adam Hughes had led Maryland to three-straight seasons of being .500 or better, but that streak will end once the weekend is complete. Despite returning eight major contributors – and practically losing none over the offseason – the Terrapins were unable to move up the Big Ten ladder. Similar to schools such as Indiana and Michigan State, Maryland has suffered by the expanded conference. 

Maryland will look back on losses to Northwestern and Iowa early in the conference schedule as the backbreakers as the Terrapins are set to say goodbye to numerous impact players. That includes Samantha Schnitta, who has established herself as the best server in the country and it’s not an argument. 

The Ole Miss transfer averaged 2.62 kills per set in her first season in College Park in 2023. She’s improved in every major category in her fifth season, averaging 3.37 kills and 1.91 digs per set with 60 total blocks and a nation-leading 81 aces (0.78 SA/S). She recorded a season-high seven aces against Ohio State on Nov. 15 and has recorded at least three aces 16 times, including a streak of 11 matches from Sept. 7 to Oct. 5. 

Another graduate student, Sam Csire provides offense with 2.73 kills per set off a 6-2 offense that’s split between setters Sydney Dowler (4.95 A/S) and Zoe Huang (5.11 A/S) which is different than last season when Dowler ran the offense solo. Anastasia Russ leads the team with 99 blocks while Eva Rohrbach (96 blocks) form the duo in the middle, but both don’t provide much offense which is a weakness. Lily Gunter also returned for her fifth season at libero and is averaging 3.35 digs per set. 

It will be interesting to see how Hughes rebuilds the Terrapins over the offseason with five fifth-year players set to graduate. Schnitta should be named the program’s ninth all-american by season’s end and the first to make a top three team. Nebraska should be able to put up a sweep in the regular season finale.

---

MORE: McMaster's Big Ten Football Power Rankings After Week 13

MORE: Keys to Victory: Nebraska at Iowa

MORE: Nick Handley Show: Iowa Football Preview with the Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow

MORE: Nebraska Football Commit Christian Jones Makes Final Visit Before Signing

MORE: Nebraska Football Recruiting: Lamarcus Barber Recaps Visit, Names Huskers Top Choice

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.