LINCOLN, Neb. -- The women's volleyball team's bid for an undefeated season and its first-ever national championship came to a bitter end Dec. 8 as Mideast region top-seed Nebraska topped the Lady Lions, 15-12, 16-14, 10-15, 15-5 at the regional finals.

The matchup followed script, placing the mideast's top programs in a showdown for a final-four berth. The No. 6 Lady Lions (44-1) earned a spot in the final on the strength of an impressive straight-set victory over No. 10 Wisconsin. Nebraska (33-3) struggled on its home court but eventually polished off upstart Pitt.

Nebraska's Coliseum resembled a scene out of the movie Hoosiers as over 4,000 raucous fans packed the historic gym, clad in red and white and bellowing boisterous cheers to spur on the home team.

The Lady Lions seemed undaunted by the less-than-accommodating Husker crowd. The animated and confident Penn State team opened the contest with an offensive flurry orchestrated by setter Michelle Jaworski.

Spreading the ball around to the team's quintet of powerful hitters, the Lady Lions were able to stay a step ahead of the Huskers. The unpredictable offense, coupled with an effective block anchored by middle blocker JoAnn Elwell, silenced Nebraska's heavy hitters.

In fact, early on, it was the Huskers who seemed plagued with a case of nerves. Nebraska committed four errors, two net violations and three service errors in the opening stretch. However, Nebraska soon settled into its rhythm and, sparked by the crowd, chipped away at the deficit.

"I don't think we even noticed the score and that's an accurate statement. We never panicked," setter Val Novak said. "We focused on each point and didn't worry about the overall score."

Outside hitter Janet Kruse nailed five kills and Stephanie Thater and Eileen Shannon combined for three blocks to propel the Nebraska rally. The Huskers tallied 11 unanswered points to snatch the emotional first set.

"We were always in the match. We had an opportunity to win, but we didn't get the job done," Coach Russ Rose said. "We had a lot of young players in some big matches. We used a lot of emotion in the first set and we were unable to finish it off."

The Lady Lions rebounded from the setback and once again jumped on the Huskers for a 10-5 advantage. But equally as common on this night, Nebraska, like a bear out of hibernation, roared back from its slumber to knot the score at 12.

From there, the Huskers were once again on "Kruse" control. Amidst a cascade of fans chanting her name, Kruse blasted four kills to stifle a Penn State defense trying desperately to regain the lead.

With the score 15-14 in favor of the home team, Penn State outside hitter Noelle Zientara sent the ball over the net after a long volley. The ball came to an apparent rest in Shannon's arms as she cradled the ball and tried to pass it to Novak. The referee did not make a call and Shannon nailed the winning kill off Novak's set.

The normally reserved Rose argued vehemently with the officials. In a press conference later Rose said the second official told him that he saw the violation but didn't want to overrule the head official.

"It would not have given us the game, it would only have given us the side out, but it's an awfully hard way to lose a game on the road in front of a tough crowd," Rose said.

The Lady Lions continued to show signs of maturity, fighting off the mental fatigue wearing on them from the first two sets, and pressed the Huskers in the third set. Zientara recorded two of her nine kills and one ace in the opening of the set to pace Penn State to a 5-0 lead.

Elwell and fellow middle blocker Leanne Kling had four kills apiece in the set, registering 12 and 11 respectively in the match. Outside hitter Kim Kumfer sealed the third set with two kills.

The Lady Lions were unable to capitalize on the momentum of the third game. The effort seemed to drain Penn State in the finale. Nebraska raced to an early lead and never trailed in the fourth game, roaring past Penn State, 15-5.

"We challenged them and we knew we could play with them," Kumfer said. "It's too bad we didn't play our best match when they played theirs."

Nebraska was able to do what most teams were unable to accomplish against Penn State, namely keeping Jaworski off the net. Jaworski, a first-team All-American this season, has feasted on opponents near the strings. From there she has commanded the offense, spreading the ball to the myriad of Lady Lion offensive threats and sending kills over the net herself to keep defenses off balance.

Against the Huskers, she scrambled for a team-high 16 digs, uncharacteristic on a team loaded with solid defensive performers and two of the nation's better passers. The passing breakdowns minimized Jaworski's net play and forced Penn State into a less-effective offense.

"Nebraska's defense was the reason we lost the match. They were steady when they needed to be steady and we were unable to do the things we like to do and run our tempo offense," Rose said. "To say it was our worst hitting match would be an understatement. That's a credit to the fact that they were digging so many balls. That's where the match was won and lost."