Aug. 19, 2008
University Park, Pa. - The defending NCAA Champion Penn State women's volleyball team will start the 2008 season ranked first in the country, according to the CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll released today. The five-time defending Big Ten titlists garnered 1,498 total points and 59 of the 60 first-places votes in the poll. Stanford, who Penn State defeated in the national championship match last year, earned 1,431 total points for second place while Texas (No. 3), Southern California (No. 4) and California (No. 5) rounded out the top five.
"The preseason coaches poll is based on potential not performance," said head coach Russ Rose, who is beginning his 30th season in Happy Valley. "We have to work hard and see if the results on the court will match up to the goals of the team."
Penn State will face 10 teams listed in the initial CBS College Sports Network/AVCA poll, including five ranked in the top 25 in the nation. The Nittany Lions will square off against No. 6 UCLA, No. 12 Hawaii, No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 25 Purdue while also facing Michigan, Michigan State, Louisville, Ohio and Illinois, who received votes in the poll.
The Nittany Lions return nine letterwinners and all seven starters - including four AVCA All-Americans - from last year's 34-2 squad that finished the Big Ten season with an unblemished 20-0 record. The squad encompasses three AVCA First Team All-Americans in senior outside hitter Nicole Fawcett (Zanesfield, Ohio), senior middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) and junior outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) along with AVCA Second Team All-American junior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.). Also returning to the squad is 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year middle hitter Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.), Big Ten All-Freshman team opposite Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.), senior libero and 2007 team digs leader Roberta Holehouse (Joppa, Md.), junior middle hitter Kelsey Ream (State College, Pa.) and sophomore defensive specialist Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.). Penn State will also gain the services of 6-5 freshman outside hitter Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.), Boston College transfer and defensive specialist Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Kishwaukee CC transfer and setter Kimi Hohl (DeKalb, Ill.), freshman defensive specialist and setter Megan Shifflett (Falls Church, Va.) and freshman defensive specialist Heather Tice (Allentown, Pa.).
Penn State opens the 2008 schedule at the Hawaiian Airlines Classic on August 29, facing the host Rainbow Wahine at 7:00 p.m. HT (1:00 a.m. ET) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. The Nittany Lions then take on UCLA and Ohio on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, before retuning home to host the Nittany Lion Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 5-6 at Rec Hall.
Penn State opens up the Big Ten season at home on Friday, Sept. 26 against Purdue at a new time of 6:00 p.m. ET to accommodate the football pep rally to be held following the volleyball match at Rec Hall. The Lions' match with Illinois that weekend has also been moved, now taking place on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 3:00 p.m. ET rather than Sunday, Sept. 28 at 1:00 p.m. The Penn State-Illinois football game across campus at Beaver Stadium is slated for 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The entire CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll can be found at http://avca.org/collegiate/dipoll/dipoll8-19-08.asp .