The closest the Nittany Lions came to a blemish on their unheard of run of dominance was only the game before, when Indiana went up 22-21 on the defending national champions only to see them rally for four straight points to close out the match.

So when the Spartans got their chance at Penn State, they saw an opportunity to get them while they were down.

“We let loose tonight, we had a lot of fun and we knew we had nothing to lose tonight so we just grovelled for points,” senior defensive specialist Heather McDaniel said.

But it wasn’t enough, as MSU ended up just like the rest — swept 3-0 by the Nittany Lions.

In the first set, the Spartans looked like they could be the first team to take Penn State to a fourth set, playing tough and fighting for every point in front of a packed crowd of 3,139, the biggest the team has seen all year at Jenison Field House.

The crowd’s energy was palpable in the game, as every bump, set and spike was met with a rush of anticipation and every point was greeted with an explosion of cheers.

The set was played closely throughout, with the only separation coming when Penn State senior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett served a four-point rally giving the Lions a 10-4 lead.

But the Spartans slowly climbed back into the set, fighting to within two points of the vaunted visitors at 22-20.

However, Penn State rallied off the last three points to take the set 25-20, only the 15th time in 78 sets this season it allowed as many as 20 points.

“I think they remember what it was like playing them the first time and I know they wanted to come out and give a better performance,” head coach Cathy George said. “They did that … I just think it’s a great team to play. (Penn State is) the epitome of what we are looking to do.”

In the second set Penn State found its game, winning 25-11 while leading by 14 for almost the entire set.

The third set saw MSU return to playing tough, staying within three points for most of the set, and bringing the crowd to its feet when they challenged the champs late, bringing the score to 20-18. Only three teams had scored 20 twice in a match against Penn State: UCLA, Iowa and Wisconsin.

But the Lions were able to rally off five straight points winning the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.

After the game, George said she was encouraged by what she saw on the court.

“I think we had moments where we played really well,” George said. “We also know we gave up runs of points which Penn State is known for. You really have to play defense on the entire court against Penn State and that can be difficult to do at times.”

The Spartans play again Saturday night against Indiana at 7 p.m. at Jenison.