June 24, 2008
Washington, D.C. - Members of the Penn State men's and women's national championship volleyball teams experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Tuesday when they traveled to the White House and met with President George W. Bush for NCAA Champions Day.
Both squads enjoyed a tour of the East Wing of the White House before individually meeting with the President. He chatted with each group, asking about the season and their championship, where the student-athletes were from and what they planned to do in the future. The team captains then presented the President with a gift - a jointly-signed Penn State No. 1 volleyball jersey and a red, white and blue volleyball - before taking a group photo. The teams were then escorted to the Blue Room of the White House before being formally announced to the South Lawn, where they descended the stairs to a reserved seating area. The captains of each of the 18 National Championship teams in attendance were then escorted to a stage in front of the group and the President joined them, speaking to the crowd and recognizing each team for their accomplishments.
"I never thought I would meet and shake hands with the President," said women's junior middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.), one of the team captains who stood behind President Bush during his speech. "When I was a freshman, my brother told me I had to win a championship so I could go to the White House, and it's kind of surreal that I'm standing here right now."
Surreal was the word of the day for both teams when describing the happenings of the day.
"It was pretty surreal," said men's freshman defensive specialist Jesse Wagner (State College, Pa.). "It was humbling. We were all there as national champs, but he (President Bush) is so much bigger than us. It was very, very cool. The Penn State volleyball experience was always my dream. Now that it has come true with a National Championship and a trip to the White House to meet the President, it's absolutely unbelievable."
Some of the players are also using the experience as added motivation for their upcoming seasons.
"This was an amazing experience and it was really great to meet the other athletes who also won national championships," said women's junior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio). "This is going to give us something to look forward to next year, working hard to be able to get the chance to come back and meet another President. How many people can say that they have met two different Presidents?"
The magnitude of the situation was not lost on any of the members of either team, despite how hard they tried to play it off.
"The moment before the President walked into the room, we were all really giddy, laughing and having a good time, trying to keep our emotions in check," said men's senior setter Travis Foltz (Westlake Village, Calif.). "When he walked in, it was dead silence and we were all in awe."
One of the awe-struck was men's head coach Mark Pavlik.
"Any time you get the chance to visit the White House as a guest of the President and to shake the hand of a man who holds the kind of power he does, that's indescribable," said Pavlik. "I know it is a moment that none of us will ever forget."
It is also fitting that two teams with such rich traditions and histories in their sport were able to share the experience with each other.
In 2007-2008, Penn State became just the second school in NCAA history - and the first school ever outside of California - to have its men's and women's volleyball programs capture the national title in the same school year. The feat is also only the 19th time in NCAA history - in all Division I sports - that a program has had its men's and women's programs capture a national championship in the same academic year.
"There has always been such a great bond and camaraderie between the men's and women's programs at Penn State, it is just great that both teams can share this, along with their championships," said Pavlik. "The coaching staffs communicate well between each other, all of the players are friends, it is just really great that this moment was able to happen for both teams, and they can remember it this way."
Another common theme of the day was the sentiment of trying to capture the feeling of the situation.
"I am so glad that we all had this opportunity to go to the White House and meet the President," said women's assistant coach Salima Rockwell. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are so fortunate that we were able to experience it. I know the teams appreciate the magnitude of the situation and wish that everyone could feel what we felt when President Bush walked into the room and spoke with us, when we walked out onto the South Lawn and were introduced, when he recognized all of the teams for their accomplishments. It was great to meet all of the other National Champions from other sports and hear the other great stories outside of our own."
Following the ceremony, Congressman John E. Peterson (R-Pleasantville) also congratulated both teams on their successes on and off the court.
"Penn State University is a first-rate academic institution and a national powerhouse in athletics," said Peterson. "However, when you think of Penn State the first thing that comes to mind is Joe Pa and the football team. Today the spotlight was on the volleyball programs, and rightfully so. These young men and women are the true definition of `student-athlete.' With a combined grade-point average of more than 3.0, I congratulate them on not only their athletic muscle, but also their academic achievements. I have no doubt that upon graduation, these fine student-athletes will contribute immensely to our society in whatever field they choose."
The women's team won its second-ever national title with a five-game win over Stanford on Dec. 15 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. Penn State ended the season with a 34-2 record and captured its fifth straight Big Ten title with an undefeated 20-0 record. Sophomore outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship and joined teammates Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio), Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) and Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team. Harmotto was also recognized as an ESPN The Magazine Third Team Academic All-American.
The men's squad also brought home its second national title with a four-game win over Pepperdine on May 3 at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The Nittany Lions finished the year with a 30-1 mark and brought home their 10th consecutive EIVA crown with an 11-1 record. Junior outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) earned NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player accolades and joined teammates Luke Murray (East Petersburg, Pa.), Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Max Lipsitz (Williamsville, N.Y.) on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team. Lipsitz also picked up ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-American accolades.
For more information on the Penn State men's and women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.