Early on in regular season conference play, Penn State coach Amanda Lehotak said her team was fighting for respect in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions (30-23, 14-9 Big Ten) turned some heads when they earned the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament, securing a first round bye on Thursday and hosting the event for the first time in program history.
The Lions topped the No. 5 seed Nebraska (33-18, 13-9 Big Ten) 8-7 on Friday, displaying maturity and confidence, while garnering even more respect against their conference competitors.
The Cornhuskers scored first, attacking junior Marlaina Laubach on the mound right away.