LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — The year of the reverse sweep.
But it couldn’t happen in the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship, could it? Even though reverse sweeps seemed to happen this year more than ever.
Well, late Thursday night/Friday morning in the KFC Yum! Center, Penn State rallied for a 23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 28-26, 15-13 victory over Nebraska in a battle of Big Ten teams that will live in the lore of the college game.
Nebraska, the wire-to-wire favorite, is headed home after a 33-3 season. Penn State (34-2), will go for its first title since 2014 when it plays Louisville in Sunday’s final. Louisville beat Pitt in four sets in a battle of ACC powers in the first semifinal.
It means that for the first time a woman coach will win the NCAA title when Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley goes up against Louisville’s Dani Busboom Kelly.
Penn State, which has won 11 in a row, which includes a regular-season victory over Nebraska in their only meeting this season, got 26 kills — six in the fifth set — from Jess Mruzik, who hit .300 an had two assists, an ace, 12 digs and a block. Caroline…
