OMAHA, Neb. — Penn State hasn't lost a match this season. Not even a set.

But for all the Nittany Lions have accomplished, they know it won't mean much if they don't finish the most dominating run in women's college volleyball with an NCAA championship.

The top-seeded defending champions (36-0) need two more wins, starting with Thursday night's national semifinal at No. 4 Nebraska (31-2). The other semifinal features No. 2 Stanford (30-3), the 2007 national runner-up, against No. 3 Texas (29-3).

"It sets the bar very high for future teams to talk about doing something great in the regular season," Penn State coach Russ Rose said. "But these players realize we're here for the national championships and the final four, and for us to have success here, we're going to have to play our best volleyball."

The Lions have won 109 consecutive sets, breaking the 105-set streak by Florida in 2003. Penn State's average winning margin is a commanding 25-16. Penn State also has won 62 consecutive matches, another NCAA record.

"It appears as though we have some history happening this year with Penn State and that we're all chasing them," Stanford coach John Dunning said. "We're all in a hunt chasing down the lion."

To reach Saturday's final, Penn State will have to get past a surprising Nebraska team that reached the final four after replacing four All-Americans. The Lions also need to overcome the pro-Nebraska crowd that will number 17,000 at the Qwest Center, 50 miles from the Huskers' Lincoln campus.

It will be a difficult task to upend Nebraska. The Huskers are 13-0 all-time at the Qwest Center and have won 96 straight matches played in the state.

"It's a long trip to get here, and you're playing Nebraska in the state of Nebraska," Rose said.

The six-time defending Big Ten champion Lions feature three-time All-America outside hitter Nicole Fawcett and three other first-team All-Americans. They're trying to become the fourth unbeaten national champion and the sixth to defend their title.

Having to win in front of a hostile crowd just adds to the challenge, Fawcett said.

"It's something we all thrive on," she said. "You practice all the time to play in front of a crowd and show it what you can do. To have an atmosphere like this — Nebraska always has been known to have fans who support good volleyball — it's great to be able to show people what you do and that your team has gotten to this point."

Nebraska, which won the 2006 title, is in the semifinals for the third time in four years. The Huskers' improbable appearance came after a dramatic five-set win at Washington in last week's regional final.

Nebraska defensive specialist Rachel Schwartz called it an honor to play an opponent with Penn State's credentials. But neither she nor teammates Jordan Larson and Amanda Gates admit feeling intimidated.

Stanford (30-3) is bidding for a third straight appearance in the national title match. The Cardinal is led by senior middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo, the 2007 national player of the year, and enters the semifinals with 15 straight wins.

Texas is in the semifinals for the first time since 1995. The Longhorns, who have only two seniors, have won 13 straight matches to give them 29 wins, the most since 1993.

"This was one of the goals, to get back here and return the pride to Texas volleyball," Longhorns coach Jerritt Elliott said. "I'm proud of the players we recruited. This isn't a team that will go away after one year."

Penn State only has three seniors and probably won't fade away, either. But the 2008 Lions have an opportunity to become a team for the ages.

"All the teams here are really good, but the thing I find very impressive is that they haven't lost a set," Texas' Ashley Engle said. "Every team will drop a (set) here or there. Not Penn State.

"That shows they're not only talented and athletic, but they're mentally tough, which is a great combination."