Sweet 16? Check. Elite Eight? Check. The number-one ranked Penn State women’s volleyball team (33-2, 19-1 Big Ten) gave the number-two seeded Creighton (32-3, 18-0 Big East) a taste of their own five-set performance in the Elite Eight match on a magical Sunday evening in Rec Hall. Penn State overwhelmed the first set, but Creighton? They weren’t going down without a fight. Bluejays came from behind to win the second set and even took the first lead in the third set.

However, with Rec Hall as loud as it was, the Nittany Lions responded, fought back, and took that all-crucial third set as the champions they are. The fourth? For Creighton. But the fifth? Back to Penn State. Now, with Creighton getting knocked out of the title race and Penn State strolling into the NCAA semifinals, there is a little bonus fun to discuss. Not only did the Nittany Lions defeat the Bluejays, but they demolished the super-impressive volleyball streaks of Creighton! Thinking about what these stats are?

Penn State beats the stats!

Rob Anderson, Creighton’s Assistant AD, took to X on December 16 to drop some interesting stats. “Creighton is 31-0 when winning the 2nd set this year,” he shared, adding, “Both of Penn State’s losses came when they lost the second set.” He also mentioned, “Penn State is 23-0 when they win the first set. Creighton is 28-0 when they win the first set.”

And besides, let’s not forget that Creighton has won 3 of its last matches after losing the first set (including the victory over Texas on Friday) and is 4-2 this season when faced with such a task. In the game against Texas, the sixth-ranked and second-seeded Creighton volleyball team pulled off one of the biggest shocks when they sent the two-time defending national champion Texas packing with a straight set 3-1. It was a wild match at the Regional Semifinal hosted by Penn State on December 13.

Creighton arrived during the match as a very hot team with a record of 32-2 and a 25-match winning streak. The sets were clinched at 24-26, 25-19, 25-21, and 25-20 to qualify for the Elite Eight for the second time in the program’s history! At the same time, Texas finished their season with a 20-7 record. But the real headliner? The Nittany Lions! Penn State defeated Creighton in another 5-set thriller to punch their ticket to the NCAA Semifinals for the 14th time and first since 2017. And now, it is going to become even hotter than before! Penn State’s next opponent is another team that was crowned co-champ of the Big Ten this season, Nebraska.

The Nittany Lions are set to take on the Big Ten co-champs!

Only moments before Penn State was to play against Creighton, Nebraska volleyball charged into the NCAA Semifinals, thrashing No. 7 Wisconsin 3-0. Bob Devaney Sports Center? Oh, it was rocking with 8,743 die-hard fans who cheered Nebraska through every spike, block, and save. As John Cook said, “I’m not sure I’ve heard the Devaney this loud for this long, every point, and um, so, thanks to our crowd, they were unbelievable today.” Nebraska’s Huskers clinched the first set in a rather close shave at 26-24, while the second set was easily wrapped up at 25-17, and the third set was again clinched in a very close fight at 26-24. Going 2 sets down 15-11, the team woke up the warriors in them and clinched the set 25-21. That’s how you punch a ticket to Louisville!

But hold up, there’s some Big Ten drama that’s still brewing! Earlier in the season, the Nittany Lions handed Nebraska one of their few stumbles, grabbing a 3-1 victory at Rec Hall and securing a share of the Big Ten title—Penn State’s 18th in program history. Nebraska, though, wasn’t about to let the season slip away. They bounced back in spectacular fashion, locking in their share of the title with a 3-1 win over Maryland, fueled by a roaring, record-breaking Maryland crowd of 13,071. Two titans, one conference, and all the unfinished business.

Now everything is expected on December 19 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Nebraska and Penn State are set to tango in an NCAA semifinal match that promises revenge, redemption, and just plain good volleyball. Now the question arises: who will go to the finals? Which side are you on? Let us know in the comments!