No. 11 SMU swept Penn State before top-ranked Nebraska halted the Mustangs’ run in a historic volleyball showcase at AT&T Stadium.
No. 11 SMU volleyball made a statement under the brightest lights in Texas, sweeping No. 10 Penn State before falling to No. 1 Nebraska in the championship match of the Spikes Under the Lights exhibition at AT&T Stadium.
The Mustangs finished as runners-up in the first-of-its-kind showcase, which marked the first women’s college sporting event played inside the home of the Dallas Cowboys. SMU earned an additional $50,000 for reaching the final after receiving $200,000 to participate.
The money was significant. So was the stage. But SMU’s performance against Penn State provided the strongest evidence that the Mustangs belonged in the national spotlight.
SMU secured a 2-0 semifinal victory with set wins of 24-22 and 21-18. The opening frame developed into a tense exchange of runs, with neither team able to create lasting separation.
Christa Wilburn supplied two early kills as the Mustangs built an 11-9 advantage, and SMU eventually finished the extended set.
Penn State appeared ready to take control of the second frame when it moved ahead 17-16. SMU responded immediately, scoring four consecutive points behind two kills from Davis.
With the Mustangs holding a 20-18 lead, Davis delivered another kill to close the match and punch SMU’s ticket to the final.
Davis finished with 11 kills and a .364 hitting percentage. As a team, the Mustangs hit an impressive .323 against the defending national power.
Nebraska presented a much different challenge.
The top-ranked Cornhuskers, who swept No. 17 Florida in the other semifinal, raced to a 12-2 lead in the championship’s opening set.
SMU cut the margin to six, prompting a Nebraska timeout at 16-10, but the early deficit proved too large. The Huskers claimed the set 21-12 while holding SMU to a negative-.087 hitting percentage.
SMU stayed close early in the second set and trailed only 8-7 through the first 15 points. Nebraska then unleashed a decisive 10-2 run and closed the match with a 21-11 victory.
The ending may have been lopsided, but SMU’s night was anything but disappointing. The Mustangs defeated a top-10 opponent, played for a title against the nation’s No. 1 team and helped introduce women’s college volleyball to one of America’s most recognizable stadiums.
SMU now travels to Fort Collins to face Colorado State on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT, with the match streaming on YouTube.
