Penn State’s hopes for another NCAA women’s volleyball national title came to an end Sunday night with a 3-1 loss to Texas in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal in Omaha, Neb.
The No. 13 seed Nittany Lions took the first set, 25-23, as Jonni Parker had nine kills and two blocks. No. 4 seed Texas came back to take the second set, 25-18, setting up a thrilling third set.
The teams battled it out in a close set that went to extra points, with Texas outdueling PSU for a 30-28 win. That gave the Longhorns the advantage in the match, and they didn’t have much trouble in taking the fourth and final set, 25-17, to advance to the tournament’s Elite 8.
PSU dropped to 11-9 all-time against Texas.
Penn State ended its season with a 10-6 record. The Nittany Lions reached the NCAA Tournament for the 40th consecutive season, the longest streak in the NCAA, and advanced to a regional semifinal for the 18th straight year.