Nebraska Ready for Another Battle with Penn State

Rebekah Allick still remembers.

Nebraska’s senior middle blocker hasn’t forgotten what happened when she played against Penn State last year. The Nittany Lions defeated NU in four sets at the end of the regular season to clinch a share of the Big Ten title. Three weeks later, PSU survived a match point against the Huskers in the national semifinals en route to a national championship.

While Penn State looks quite different from last year’s team, when the top-ranked Huskers face it for the first time this season Friday at 7 p.m. CDT, Allick isn’t shy about her motivation.

“I still see them as the team from last year,” she said. “I know they have some new firepower…but I got a grudge, so I want to kick some butt.”

The team that lines up against the Huskers (12-0, 2-0) on the nationally televised match on Fox will be quite different from a year ago. Gone are the Nittany Lions’ top three point scorers: outside hitters Jess Mruzik and Camryn Hannah, along with middle blocker Taylor Trammel. Setter Izzy Starck also left the team after four matches.

Penn State only has three starters back from the title team: libero Gillian Grimes, middle blocker Maggie Mendelson and Caroline Jurevicius, who switched from opposite to outside hitter.

To help out, the Nittany Lions added Florida opposite Kennedy Martin and outside hitter Emmi Sellman from Ohio State. In addition, Starck’s departure elevated St. Louis grad transfer Addie Lyon into a starting spot.

Rebekah Allick (5) celebrates a kill Virginia Adriano (9). | Amarillo Mullen

Even though Penn State enters the match at 7-5 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten, NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said the Nittany Lions are still dangerous and will be up for playing the Huskers.

“I know they’ve had some losses this year that could be unexpected, but I still think this is a team that can contend at a really high level,” she said. “You can’t really replace Izzy Stark — her talent as a setter, her athleticism — but they have Kennedy Martin, who I think she could hit off anybody. She’s going to be great. They’re outside hitters. They have three of them that are really, really physical. Setter doesn’t affect the libero, so I think there’s still a very, very good team.”

Martin poses the biggest challenge as she is second in the nation with 5.23 kills per set. The 6-foot-6 junior has twice been named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week, including on Monday after she put up 29 kills in a five-set win over USC and 34 kills in four sets against UCLA.

Allick said the key to defending an elite player like her is consistency. In high-stress situations, players often revert to their training, so she tries to remain mindful and disciplined, regardless of the opponent. For hitters like Martin, the defense needs to absorb the hits early but learn how they attack as the match goes on.

“In the first and second set, that kind of attacker, they’re going to hit everything, probably at full force, and you just kind of have to roll with the punches,” Allick said. “But fourth and fifth set behavior, that’s going to be more on my mind if the game does go long, what does she want to hit that’s comfortable?”

Nebraska, which is 14-3 against PSU since 2015, enters the match looking to avenge the pair of losses from last year, but it will also have implications for this season. The league’s coaches picked the Nittany Lions to finish second in the league in the preseason, and the result will have implications for the conference race and NCAA tournament seedings.

Bergen Reilly comes off the bench to serve in the second set. — Bergen Reilly comes off the bench to serve in the second set against Grand Canyon. | Amarillo Mullen

However, junior setter Bergen Reilly said they can’t just have their sights set on PSU because the Huskers have to turn around and play at Rutgers on Saturday. Last year, the Huskers dropped a set at 14-17 Maryland the day after playing the Nittany Lions.

“We really want to beat Penn State, but we also have to go and beat Rutgers the next day, too,” Reilly said. “It’s a big rivalry, and it’ll be a fun game.”

Busboom Kelly also has a history with the Nittany Lions from last year. Her Louisville team was swept by PSU in Rec Hall in early September before falling in four sets in the national championship match.

She said Penn State will be a tough environment in front of a sold-out crowd. Regardless of who the opponent is, Busboom Kelly said the Huskers are eager for another challenge against a top-notch opponent.

“I’d say we’re pretty motivated, and it’s a chip-on-our-shoulder week. We’re going to have to play really well to go in there and beat them,” she said. “Penn State or not, this team is ready for another challenge and ready for something to really have our sights set on. I’m fired up for yesterday’s practice and the rest of this week and going into Penn State feeling prepared.”

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