Huskers hope to flip the script against Penn State in the Final Four

Nebraska and Penn State will facing off in the NCAA Volleyball Final Four Thursday night.

The Huskers are looking to flip the script against the Nittany Lions after losing to Penn State earlier this year.

Senior Merritt Beason said it’s an exciting opportunity.

“It's awesome for us. We get another chance,” Beason said. “Obviously, we didn't come out on top the first time that we played Penn State, and so I think we're really excited to just have another chance.”

Both teams are ranked in the top three in the American Volleyball Coaches Association rankings. PSU is No. 2 while the Huskers are ranked No. 3. Both earned No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

Senior libero Lexi Rodriguez leads the Cornhuskers defense, which is leading the tournament in opponent hitting percentage thus far, at .066. She also earned her fourth All-American honor on Thursday.

“I just think it's really cool that everyone kind of believed that I could do it, and my coaches always believed in me, and my teammates did,” Rodriguez said. “And I mean, they were just always so supportive of me, so I owe it all to them.”

She’s just the third player in school history to accomplish the feat of four All-American selections.

Nebraska and Penn State earned a share of the Big Ten Championship, when Penn State handed the Huskers its first conference loss of the season on Black Friday.

Now, the teams are one game away from the National Championship.

The Nittany Lions defeated Creighton in five sets to make the Final Four. It’s led by first team All-American Jess Mruzik and second team selection and freshman Izzy Starck.

The match starts around 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.