Penn State
wears down
Comhuskers
in Final Four
By Shannon Heffelfinger
Senior staff writer
MADISON, Wis. - Faced with the thunderous
finality of Lauren Cacciamani’s match-winning
kill at the end of the Nebraska volleyball team’s
NCAA Final Four loss to Penn State on Dec. 17,
Megan Korver could think only of the beginning.
For Korver, 1996 marked the beginning - the
year when the middle blocker arrived at NU as a
sophomore after transferring from George
Washington. The year when she vowed to concen
trate only on aiding the Comhuskers on a national
championship journey, an experience her class
mates Fiona Nepo and Jaime Krondak had
claimed as freshmen before she arrived in 1995.
And Korver had felt earlier this fall that this
was it. Nebraska boasted its strongest senior class
in three years. NU Coach Terry Pettit couldn’t
remember ever coaching a team with more depth.
The Huskers listed three potential All-Americans
on their roster, including Korver herself.
The Huskers even appeared to have luck on
their side after surviving five-game matches
against Pepperdine and Wisconsin in the week pre
ceding the Final Four.
It was her last chance.
But despite the perfect scenario, even Korver
agreed that the finale to the Huskers’ season
almost seemed scripted Ironically, the members of
NU’s senior class - who played a huge part in
thwarting Penn State’s post-season hopes in a five
game match in 1996 - finished their careers with a
15-11,15-8,8-15,15-11 loss to the No. 2 Nittany
Lions.
Penn State’s win - witnessed by an NCAA
record crowd of 12,327 at the Kohl Center -
marked just the second time in eight tries that PSU
has stolen a match from the Huskers during post
season play, a disappointing thought to NU’s
seniors.
“After that third game, things looked so good
for us,” Korver said. “But when that last point
came in the fourth, it was just devastating. We were
so close. When I walked off the floor, I was in
shock. I think I still am. I really thought we could
do it.”
No. 3 Nebraska came close to earning a spot in
the title match after it nearly pushed PSU to a fifth
game. After slow starts in games No. 1 and 2, the
Huskers led the entire third game and jumped to a
6-2 lead in the fourth.
“You could see in at times during (the fourth
game), Penn State was scared,” said Krondak, who
posted 10 kills. “They really were. They were
scared and fatigued.”
But the Nittany Lions, went on a 9-0 run led by
Cacciamani, who smashed eight ofher match-high
20 kills during the final frame. Nebraska cut the
lead to 11-10 after a service ace from Mandy
Monson, but PSU’s Christy Cochran recorded
l— »
Penn State 15 15 8 15
Nebraska 11 8 15 11
three kills during the Lions’ match-ending 4-1
surge.
Two days later, No.l Long Beach State swept
Penn State (35-1) in the national championship
match.
Despite the Huskers’ loss, Pettit applauded
their effort.
“I am very proud of our team,” Pettit said. “We
followed the game plan, we did what we had
planned to do. I felt good with our situation toward
the end of game four. I felt like we really had them
on the ropes at one time.
“But I want to credit Lauren Cacciamarif She
willed their team. The difference was, she was fin
ishing plays at the end of the game and we weren’t.
And it wasn’t that we weren’t trying, we just could
n’t get it done.”
For one of the few times in 1998, the Huskers’
offensive firepower abandoned them. Nebraska hit
a season-low .135 against the Lions. Meendering,
NU’s top hitter, needed 80 swings to produce 19
kills. Penn State gave an impressive defensive
effort in the back row. At one point in the second
game, PSU dug Meendering on three consecutive
swings.
“I can’t remember ever being dug like that
before,” Meendering said. “I should have made a
better decision. There’s no excuse. I just didn’t
adjust very well.”
Krondak disagreed. \
“Nancy really stepped up and she was a little
too hard on herself,” Krondak. “I felt that it was we
three seniors who needed to be the ones to take
things upon ourselves, and I’m upset that I didn’t
do that.” „
Nebraska’s senior class ended an impressive
four-year run with the loss. Krondak and Nepo
aided the Huskers to a national title, three Final
Four appearances and three conference champi
onships. The three seniors also posted a 52-1 home
record as starters.
Nepo became only the fifth three-time All
American setter in NCAA history and earned
1998 Big 12 Player of the Year honors. The Hawaii
native smashed NU’s all-time career assist record
in October. Korver also etched her name on the
Huskers’ all-time blocking charts, recording 442
block assists (third) and 75 solo blocks (fifth).
Korver predicts Nebraska’s underclassmen
will fill the void left by the trio. Juniors Mandy
Monson and Tonia Tauke - Nebraska’s top blocker
- will return, as will part-time starters Angie Oxley
and Nikki Henk. Meendering, who earned first
team All-America honors this season, will anchor
the Huskers’ offensive efforts.
“I think the future is bright for this team,”
Korver said.
And the middle blocker even sees a bright side
to the end of her career. Although she will some
times wonder about what might have been, Korver
said, she looks forward to living the life of a “nor
mal” college student
“I had to give up a lot to play on this team,”
Korver said. ‘ It will be so strange not to go to prac
tice every afternoon and spend four hours a day
with this team. But even though I never played for
a national championship, I do not have any regrets.
I loved playing here, and I have made good friends
- best friends - on this team. I’m thankful for the
experience.”
Matt Miller/DN
ABOVE:NEBRASKA SETTER FIONA NEPO, left,
and middle blocker Tonia Tauke set up a block
against Penn State.
TOP:DENISE KOZIOL MENTALLY PREPARES for
her final volleyball match as Coach Terry
Pettit goes over strategy in the team’s locker
room.
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