Penn State's Volleyball Reign Ends At Elite Eight In Thriller At #2
Penn State's Volleyball Reign Ends at Elite Eight in Thriller at No. 2
Penn State's reign as national volleyball champions came to an end on Thursday night in a thrilling Elite Eight match against No. 2 Texas. The Nittany Lions fell in five sets (25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12) in a match that lasted over two and a half hours.
A Tale of Two Halves
Penn State controlled the first half of the match, winning the first two sets. The Nittany Lions hit .324 in the first set and .345 in the second set. They also held Texas to a .182 hitting percentage in the first set and a .176 hitting percentage in the second set.
However, Texas turned the tables in the second half of the match. The Longhorns hit .417 in the third set and .357 in the fourth set. They also held Penn State to a .167 hitting percentage in the third set and a .154 hitting percentage in the fourth set.
Key Plays
There were several key plays in the match that helped Texas rally from a 2-0 deficit. In the third set, Texas went on a 6-0 run to take a 16-10 lead. The Longhorns then held on to win the set, 25-18.
In the fourth set, Texas rallied from a 22-19 deficit to win the set, 25-23. The Longhorns scored the final three points of the set on a kill by Logan Eggleston, a block by Asjia O'Neal, and a service ace by Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres.
In the fifth set, Texas took a 5-0 lead and never looked back. The Longhorns won the set, 15-12, to advance to the Final Four.
Player Performances
Logan Eggleston led Texas with 24 kills and 12 digs. Asjia O'Neal added 17 kills and 7 blocks. Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres had 11 kills and 2 service aces.
For Penn State, Kaitlyn Hord led the way with 15 kills. Allie Holland added 14 kills and 12 digs. Gabby Blossom had 11 kills and 7 digs.
Quotable
Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott
"I'm really proud of our team. We showed a lot of grit and determination tonight. We never gave up, even when we were down 2-0. We just kept fighting and fighting. I'm so proud of them for advancing to the Final Four."
Penn State head coach Russ Rose
"We're disappointed to lose, but I'm proud of my team. We played hard and we never gave up. Texas is a great team and they made some big plays when they needed to. We wish them the best in the Final Four."
Conclusion
Penn State's reign as national volleyball champions came to an end on Thursday night, but the Nittany Lions can hold their heads high. They had a great season and they represented their university well. Texas is a great team and they deserved to win the match. We wish them the best in the Final Four.