No. 5 Penn State battled past No. 4 Wisconsin in a four set (22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-19) victory on Saturday night to advance to the NCAA national semifinals in Oklahoma City.

The win marks the Nittany Lions’ third consecutive appearance in the national semifinals, playing in them seven out of their last eight seasons.

Penn State struggled early in the match, losing a set for the first time since Oct. 17, in which they broke a streak of 16 straight matches without conceding a set. But Rose’s quick decision to substitute freshman Simone Lee in for classmate Ali Frantti changed the Lions’ momentum.

Lee completed the match with 12 kills on a .161 hitting percentage, adding in three digs. Although an infrequent starter for the Lions, she finished Penn State’s last outing against Wisconsin in late September with the same number of kills.

The second set went point for point until Lee ignited a spark among the team, extending the Lions’ lead to 13-10. Washington jumped in with a massive kill shortly after to keep Penn State ahead four points, 16-12.

Washington registered 10 kills on a .368 hitting percentage on Saturday night.

Lee and redshirt junior Aiyana Whitney controlled the latter half of the second frame.

Overall, Whitney tallied 16 kills on a .231 hitting clip and by the completion of set two, Lee totaled six kills on a .750 hitting clip on eight errorless swings.

A crucial frame three went point-for-point as leads switched from Lions to Badgers for the majority of the game. An outside kill from Washington put the Lions up 18-15 — their first mini-lead of the frame.

But the Badgers came back fighting and tied it up at 20-20 following a few Penn State attack errors. Hancock got the Lions to set point on a clutch service ace, and a block from senior Nia Grant and Lee captured the set.

Hancock hit her classic service ace stride toward the end of the third set on a team-best .538 hitting clip.

The final set jumped to a quick pace as points were traded back and forth amongst both teams. But a 3-0 Penn State run beginning on blocks from Whitney and Grant and ending on a kill that was strategically set from Hancock put the Lions up 22-18.

After a Wisconsin timeout later, Penn State went ahead and took the set 25-19 and match to advance into the next round of postseason action.

The Lions will take on the winner of the Ames, Iowa regional against either No. 1 Stanford or No. 8 Florida on Thursday, Dec. 18 in Oklahoma City in their 12th trip to the NCAA national semifinals in program history.

Update in NCAA women's volleyball: No. 1 Stanford advances to national semifinal and will play No. 5 Penn State on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. — Patrick Kowalski (@PaddicusMaximus) December 14, 2014