MADISON, Wis. – No. 14 Penn State Women’s Volleyball’s 43rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament came to an end in the Regional Semifinal Thursday night with a 3-1 (25-11, 28-30, 25-12, 25-18) loss to No. 3 Wisconsin at the UW Field House.
The Nittany Lions closed the season with a 23-9 record. The Badgers improved to 29-3 and advanced to the Regional Final, where they will play the winner between Oregon and Purdue on Saturday.
Wisconsin racked up 17 blocks and held Penn State to .082 hitting. Caroline Crawford had 10 blocks, while Carter Booth tallied seven in addition to her 10 kills. Sarah Franklin led the attack with 15 kills.
Jess Mruzik led Penn State with 15 kills and added 14 digs to record her 11th double-double of the season. Mac Podraza tacked on her 13th double-double of the year with 38 assists and 13 digs. Zoe Weatherington joined Mruzik in double-digits with her 12 kills.
Gillian Grimes and Maddy Bilinovic turned in solid defensive efforts for the Nittany Lions. Grimes finished with 14 digs, while Bilinovic totaled nine.
Penn State is the only school to compete in all 43 NCAA Division I Tournaments. Additionally, the Nittany Lions have made it to at least the Regional Semifinal in 20 of the last 21 seasons.
Set 1
Carter Booth was a perfect 4-for-4 on her attacks and added three blocks as Wisconsin rolled to a 25-11 win in the opening set. The Badgers had four blocks as a team while holding Penn State to -.059 hitting.
Set 2
Penn State showed grit by responding with a 30-28 win in a thrilling second set. The Nittany…
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