LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nittany Lions (6-16, 2-7 Big Ten) won the final four matches, coming back from three points down to defeat Nebraska (8-15, 0-10 Big Ten) for the first time in program history Friday night 6-1.
With the match tied 3-3 Dasha Sapogova knocked off Maggie Lehmicke in three sets at the No. 1 singles match to clinch the deciding point and give the Nittany Lions their first road victory on the season.
The Cornhuskers took the early lead when they earned victories at the first and second doubles matches to clinch the doubles point. Izabella Zgierska and Maike Zeppernick topped Katherine Whiteaway and Carmen Sandor 8-1 at No. 2 doubles to get the first win of the match.
The Huskers earned their eighth doubles point of the season and first against a Big Ten team when Maggie Lehmicke and Mary Hanna snuck past Katia Blik and Sapogova at the No. 1 match 8-6.
The match at No. 3 doubles went unfinished with Marie-Frederique Bedard and Taylor Shukow all knotted up with Lisa Andersson and Hannah Sulz at seven games each.
In singles Nebraska added to their lead when Sulz knocked off Lisa Petruzillo at the No. 6 singles match 6-0, 6-0. They went up by three when Zeppernick topped Shukow 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 4 match.
Katherine Whiteaway started the comeback for Penn State winning at No. 5 singles 7-6, 6-0 to make the score 3-1 in favor of the Huskers. Katia Blik finished next pulling the Nittany Lions within one, knocking off Zgierska 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 2 spot .
After dropping the first set at No. 3 singles, Sandor won the second set 6-4 sending the match to a third set where she clinched the victory tying the match at three points apiece and sending the match to No. 1 singles. The win moves Sandor into a tie with Lauren Holzberg for 11th all-time in team history with 49 career singles victories.
Sapogovaâs match-clinching win gave her 14 on the spring, the most by a freshman since Lauren McCarthy had 14 in 2007.
