Put the 2024 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball Final Four on blast tonight.
Four powerhouse squads – two from Pennsylvania – are playing in the semifinals at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. First up are Atlantic Coast Conference divas Pittsburgh and Louisville at 6:30 p.m.
Penn State competes against Nebraska 30 minutes following the match. Both matches are on ESPN.
The Nittany Lions’ final home game at Rec Hall was a thriller. They beat Creighton in five sets. 25-15, 16-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-7.
“We were not sure with the weather, but our fans came out and they were loud,” PSU head volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said after the match. “I think that’s the loudest I’ve heard Rec Hall in a long time and we appreciate it. They get us points.”
The synergy in the Hall was electric, creating a memory the Nittany Lions will not soon forget.
“I’m just speechless, seriously, I’m so proud of these girls and the fight that we had in all five sets,” junior Jillian Grimes said. “It was actually unreal to be out there.”
The surreal atmosphere will continue tonight. Penn State has played with connectedness all season. The last time the Nittany Lions were in the Final Four was in 2017.
“Honestly, once I saw the ball was on the ground, it was just a whirlwind of emotions,” senior Taylor Trammell said.
A standout who was named MVP following the match, and kills leader, and recently name First Team All-American, Jess Mruzik is pumped to pounce on every opportunity.
“Volleyball is truly a team sport, and I honestly couldn’t do it without them,” Mruzik said about getting MVP.
Pitt is 2-0 against Louisville. The Panthers have been to the Final Four four times, but they haven’t advanced to the final stage. It would be the first time for them to play in the championship if they came out with the win.
Kassie Vasellas is a Female Athlete News student-intern at Penn State University.
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