The entire Penn State women’s volleyball season focuses on a Friday, Nov. 29 matchup with Nebraska at Rec Hall, and after another 2-0 weekend for Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s Nittany Lions, they are just one win away.

On Thursday night, Penn State swept No. 8 Purdue at Rec Hall in a 3-0 sweep for Schumacher-Cawley’s 200th career victory. Then on Sunday afternoon, the Nittany Lions defeated Washington 3-1 on Senior Day, behind 19 kills from senior Camryn Hannah. Junior libero Gillian Grimes had back-to-back outstanding performances with 20 digs against the Boilermakers and 17 more to hold the Huskies to a .124 hitting percentage.

Those wins put the No. 4 Nittany Lions at 27-2 on the season and 17-1 in conference play. The team’s only loss in the Big Ten came against now No. 6 Wisconsin, which has three conference losses and knocked Penn State out of the NCAA tournament last season. That leaves Penn State alone in second place at 17-1 and just one game behind the No. 2 team in the country Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are 28-1 and 18-0 in conference play with just two games remaining, the first of which is a trip to Happy Valley.

While Penn State faces Rutgers on Wednesday and closes the regular season on Friday, the Huskers finish with Maryland in College Park on Saturday, but by then the conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament could have already been decided.

If the Nittany Lions can beat the last-place Scarlet Knights 6-23 (1-17) on Wednesday night in Piscataway, the head-to-head battle on Friday will be for the Big Ten title. If Nebraska wins and hands Penn State its second loss, the Huskers will capture the crown regardless of Saturday’s outcome in College Park. If Penn State beats Rutgers and then eliminates Nebraska on Friday at Rec Hall, the two teams will be tied at 19-1, but Penn State will have the head-to-head result.

The Nittany Lions are looking for the program’s 18th Big Ten title, by far the most in conference history and their first since 2017. After picking up two wins last weekend, they are just two victories away.