Jan. 22, 2008
By Anne Yorks
Both benches watched with anticipation as Brianne O'Rourke dished a pass under the basket to freshman forward Janessa Wolff. More than 6,000 fans at the Bryce Jordan Center were frenzied with excitement. With only 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock, Wolff laid up the winning basket with the poise, focus and composure of a senior.
The Lady Lion bench erupted and spilled out onto the court. They had beaten #11/10 Duke for the first time ever in an 86-84 victory.
"It wasn't how we beat Duke. It wasn't just my shot that won it," said a humble Wolff. "The whole team worked together for the win."
The game, which was televised on ESPN2, reached the small town of Park Rapids, Minnesota and just as much noise could be heard there as the Jordan Center.
"I was so excited I jumped up and down in circles," said Sharon Wolff, Janessa's mother. The Wolff house doesn't have cable TV. So the clan, Sharon and five of Janessa's six brothers and sisters, walked down the hill to have a "Janessa watching party" at the grandparents house.
Actually everyone back home was watching their star make the winning basket, her coach John Schumacher, former teammate Ashley Grewe, and even her dad who was on the road traveling found a truck stop that was televising the game.
"We're small town Minnesota," said Schumacher, who considers Wolff his third daughter. "She showed our kids that if you have a dream that you can do it. Now she's on national TV."
Wolff's basketball dream started at age five when she told her mom that she wanted to play in a co-ed basketball program offered through her school. Her older brother Zac also played in the same program and she wanted to be like him.
Now everyone in the Wolff family plays basketball with the exception of 3-year-old Simone. Big brother Zac plays for Valley City State University in North Dakota and is considered a team leader on a squad which is ranked #15 in the NAIA national poll.
"You always see kids playing for top schools and you know they come from some family," said Janessa's father David Wolff. "And now it's ours. It feels a little surreal." Family is important to Wolff. She is the second oldest of seven.
Wolff misses home a lot now that she is more than a 1,000 miles away. But when shopping for colleges she decided early on that distance was not going to be a factor.
"I wanted to go to the best school, the best fit for me," said Wolff. "I just loved [Penn State] right away because it was so much like home." The transition from high school to college, Park Rapids to Penn State, family to team, has been easier than expected.
Wolff likes running out on the court with the smoke and screaming Whoopsters to a crowd of 6,000 fans, especially since her gym back home held about 400 fans. But she claims life as a student athlete at a Division I program is not that different than Park Rapids.
With team-mandated study hours and the excellent resources at the Morgan Academic Center, Janessa found herself with a 4.0 GPA in her first semester.
She expected the athletics to be more rigorous than high school and it is just that, "intense and requires a lot of hard work," said Wolff. But the other girls on the team have really reached out, especially sophomore guard Meggan Quinn who met Wolff during her first visit to Happy Valley. continued on page 65 continued from page 8
"She's a reliable teammate," said Quinn, describing Wolff as a great leader, positive, passionate and focused. "I love playing with her."
Ashley Grewe, a former teammate from Park Rapids now a freshman at the University of Minnesota - Duluth, also describes Wolff as a leader and motivator on and off the court.
"Her determination and work ethic are unlike anyone else I've seen," said Grewe. "She won't settle for anything less than her best."
In high school, Wolff racked up many basketball accolades including Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, Miss Minnesota Basketball Finalist, and three-time team MVP. She also blasted just about every record at her high school including scoring (2,116), rebounding (1,366), and points in a game (42).
Can lightening be striking twice? Wolff isn't the first Minnesota post player to have a strong presence at Penn State. Maren Walseth, current assistant coach and former Lady Lion standout, took her team to the NCAA tournament with a Final Four appearance in 2000.
"I see a lot of myself in Janessa," said Walseth.
Wolff is a natural leader and even as a freshman the other girls are looking to her. She is an intelligent player and is very skilled right and left, bringing a variety of post moves to the floor. "She asks questions, wants to learn, wants to get better," said Walseth, who has enjoyed working with Janessa on becoming a stronger rebounder who could one day play the high post position. "Working with kids like her is the reason I got into coaching."
Time will tell what contributions Wolff will make during her four years in the Lady Lion jersey. Her goals include an NCAA Tournament appearance every year, a few Big Ten Championships and regaining the tradition of the Lady Lion team being one of the biggest threats in women's basketball.
"I can't wait to see her play as a senior," said Quinn. "She's going to be a powerhouse."
Wolff's former coach and current coach agree that she has the skills to become an offensive threat, a team captain and a big name in the Big Ten.
"At Park Rapids she was a diamond in the rough," said Schumacher. "And now I see the edges being polished."