Aug. 12, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After becoming just the sixth team to win back-to-back national championships, one might wonder what more the Penn State women's volleyball team could set its sights on. While another national championship may always be on the radar, head coach Russ Rose aims to keep things in perspective year after year.
"It's more prudent to set your goals to be the best team that you can be," said Rose, who enters his 31st season at the helm of the Nittany Lion program. "What you have when you have a special group is a feeling those things can happen. You can't force-feed it on them. You have to recognize it comes from something within the group itself. We lost three seniors who played an awful lot of matches and had a great deal of responsibility in terms of how the team functioned day-to-day. However, when people graduate, it creates an opportunity for others to step in and show what they can do."
Which is exactly what coach Rose is looking for from this year's squad. Rose welcomes back four AVCA All-Americans amongst 10 returning letterwinners from a squad that finished 2008 a perfect 38-0, becoming only the fourth team in Division I history to win the national championship while going undefeated. In addition, Rose welcomes five talented newcomers, including two with prior collegiate experience. It is up to the 10 returners and five newcomers to fill the void left by All-American Christa Harmotto, team digs leader Roberta Holehouse and AVCA National Player of the Year Nicole Fawcett.
The 2009 squad enters the year on a record-breaking 64-match winning streak having not seen defeat since a September 15 loss to Stanford in 2007. Last year's team won 111 straight sets before Nebraska forced the Nittany Lions to a full five sets in the NCAA Semifinals.
"I anticipate us being a strong team," said Rose. "I think some people have improved since last year so that's a positive thing. The goal is to be the best team we can be, not just the best team in August or September. You can't win a championship in August and I don't think you can lose it then either. I think we'll be good but we have a number of holes to fill."
Setter
Anchoring the Nittany Lion offense is two-time AVCA All-American Alisha Glass, who led the 2008 Penn State offense to a rally era record for hitting percentage at .390. Last season, Glass led the nation averaging 12.50 assists per set. In 2009, Glass will be supported by newcomer Marika Racibarskas, as well as freshman Kristin Carpenter.
"I recruited Alisha because of her communications skills and her ability to impact others," said Rose. "She's strong at the net as a blocker and hitter which has allowed us to not be too concerned about the specific matchups with an opponent because our right side blockers are good. I hope Alisha's leadership abilities have been taken up to a new level and that she realizes that this is her team. She'll be judged by what she does with this team, not last year's team."
Glass has been the mainstay at setter for the past three seasons. The Nittany Lion offense has excelled under her guidance with a combined hitting percentage of .352 and averaging 16.28 kills per set. Last season, Glass registered 1,450 assists and was third on the team in digs (212) and total blocks (114). None of her primary hitters hit below .349 for the season. Glass was named a member of the NCAA All-Tournament team for the second consecutive year after totaling 100 assists in the NCAA Finals, including tallying a season-high 60 assists against Nebraska.
Racibarskas joins the Nittany Lions after leading her high school team to the New Jersey State Championship in 2007 and the state semifinals in 2008. She is a two-time PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American and was selected to Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 in 2008.
"Marika comes in with good experience and a physical nature that allows her to compete in the front row," said Rose. "She jumps well, has played a good bit of volleyball, is competitive and has a great deal of energy. She might enable use to run a 6-2 at some point and allows us to generate some offense out of Alisha."
Coach Rose has described Carpenter as an all-around player. The four-time Capital District Player of the Year guided her Hanover High School team to three straight district championships. She was also a member of the USA Youth National Team as a sophomore where she was the starting setter and the USA Junior National Team as the starting libero during her junior year.
"Kristin was a setter for the USA Youth National Team three years ago," said Rose. "I think she might have some say as to who gets reps and makes contributions on the different areas of the court. She will certainly be on the floor."
Outside Hitter
Penn State returns two AVCA All-Americans at outside hitter in 2009 in first team honoree Megan Hodge on the left side and second team honoree Blair Brown on the right. Joining the veterans are sophomore Katie Kabbes and freshman Darcy Dorton.
Rose will rely on Hodge not only for her prior experience on the court, but to be a mentor to the younger players.
"She has the ability to not only contribute at a high level to enhance our chances of success, but also to be a mentor to the younger players," said Rose. "They'll need to be able to count on her as she counted on Nicole (Fawcett) and Christa (Harmotto). That would be a great thing for Megan to be able to do her senior year."
Hodge led the team last season with 470 kills, averaging 4.09 kills per set. She heads into her senior season fifth on the career charts with 1,582 kills and leading all Penn Staters with a 4.51 kills per set career average. Hodge has also been strong on defense ranking second on the team in 2008 with 242 digs and a 2.10 digs per set average. In the NCAA Championship match with Stanford, Hodge led all players with 16 kills while hitting at a .318 clip and tallied 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. She was also named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row.
Brown could see time at both the middle and outside positions. She came into her own in the 2008 title run earning a spot on the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team. She finished the season with the third-highest hitting percentage on the team (.426) and recorded 217 kills and 94 blocks.
"She's improved a great deal and was an AVCA Second Team All-American," said Rose. "I wouldn't be surprised if she improves on that this season."
Kabbes returns for her second season with the Nittany Lions after seeing limited playing time in 2008 behind Hodge, Fawcett and Blair. She totaled 24 kills and 15 digs for the year.
"Katie has the experience of seeing all of our matches last year although she did not play much," said Rose. "She had an opportunity to see what the expectations are and what she'll need to do to play at a high level whether she's on the left or right side. She's an engaging young player and everyone likes her which are positive things."
Dorton comes to Penn State as a highly decorated AAU player. The 6-2 Muncie, Ind. native was a three-time AAU 18 Open All-American. She guided her Delta High School team to the State Championship in 2008, captained the Junior National Team which won the 2008 NORSECA Championship, and aided her club team in winning the 2009 AAU 18 Open National Championship and the JVDA 18 Open National Championship.
Middle Hitter
With the loss of four-time AVCA All-American Christa Harmotto at the primary middle hitter position, junior returner Arielle Wilson will have some big shoes to fill as she takes over the spot. Brown and transfer Fatima Balza will join Wilson in the middle. Senior Kelsey Ream, who saw action mostly as a serving specialist last season, will be out for much of the season on the injured reserve list.
"Kelsey is an important part of the team and a lovely young person," said Rose. "She was the third middle on a team with two All-American middles. She didn't receive a lot of opportunities, but she seized the opportunity that was available. She made some great contributions in our run at the end of the year for the national championship."
"Wilson has been a force to reckon with since day one. After being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2007, Wilson was named a Second Team AVCA All-American in her sophomore season. She finished fourth on the team in kills (245), but her .458 hitting percentage ranked second on the team behind Harmotto. Wilson averaged 1.37 blockers per set, which ranked 17th in the country, and recorded 159 blocks for the year.
"Arielle will now become our primary middle," said Rose. "Hopefully she learned a great deal about what the position entails and saw from Christa's energy and performance what she must do to help the team win."
Brown, while a possibility at the right outside position, may also see time in the middle. Rose is confident in her abilities noting that, "she's a bright player who hits at a very high level. She can attack the ball at radical angles that cause teams to struggle."
Balza joins the Nittany Lions after two years at Western Nebraska Community College. The 6-2 middle hitter hails from Merida, Venezuela and after training with the Kuchitas Volleyball Team in her hometown as a teen, she moved to Caracas to begin training with the Venezuelan National Team in 2003. Balza guided WNCC to the NJCAA National Championship in 2007 and was selected the Region IX Freshman of the Year. In her sophomore season, Balza and her team placed third in the NJCAA Tournament and she earned First Team All-America status.
Libero/Defensive Specialist
For three years, Coach Rose counted on Roberta Holehouse as his starting libero. Heading into the season, while he is not yet sure who will secure the position, there is a diverse group of back row players that offer talent, quickness and experience.
Junior Alyssa D'Errico played in 36 matches in 2008 and started in place of Holehouse after she suffered an injury. She tallied 197 digs and averaged 1.79 digs per set. D'Errico also assisted as a serving specialist and notched 22 service aces in her sophomore season. Coach Rose will look to D'Errico not only for her past experience, but also for her strong passing ability.
Junior Cathy Quilico, while the shortest member of the team at 5-1, is considered one of the quickest. Coach Rose believes she has made "great strides in both the spring and heading into the fall."
In addition to Carpenter, Coach Rose also has the options of junior transfer Jessica Ullrich and sophomores Heather Tice and Megan Shifflett.
Ullrich joins the Nittany Lions after two years at Purdue. In her sophomore season with the Boilermakers, Ullrich started all 35 matches at defensive specialist and served up 24 aces to rank second on the team.
"Jessica played a significant role at Purdue and I thought their staff did a great job with her," said Rose. "She possesses a great serve, is a good passer and has experience playing at a higher level."
Tice and Shifflett are both young back row players who did not see a lot of action in their freshman season. Coach Rose knows he can count on them for hard work and a positive attitude.
"Heather and Megan are similar," said Rose. "They're greatest attribute is their energy and positive feel for the team. They work hard, they care about the team and are always engaged with what's going on."
A Familiar Face
Joining the staff this season is 2006 Penn State graduate Kaleena Davidson, formerly Kaleena Walters. A libero for Coach Rose from 2002-2005, Davidson was a Big Ten Defensive Player of the year and still holds the career record for digs (1,957). She returns to Happy Valley after three years as an assistant coach at the College of Charleston.
"Kaleena was a great player for us," said Rose. "But more importantly, she was a loyal and loving Penn Stater. She wanted to be here and every day you could feel the energy about her. I'm confident that she'll be ale to not only work with the players in their skill development and recruiting, but provide energy and confidence that's necessary for team's to continue to grow."
Davidson joins fourth year assistant coach Dennis Hohenshelt, second year Director of Volleyball Operations Nate Kitrush and volunteer assistant coach Adam Jarrett
"Dennis continues to evolve and make my job easier all the time," said Rose. "Nate is strong in the technical area with breaking down video, and I'm pleased to have A.J. as my volunteer again. We're fortunate to have him albeit on a limited basis. It's good for the players to see a person as passionate as A.J. who's volunteering his time to help them achieve their goals."
The Schedule
Heading into the season, Coach Rose knows that every team the Nittany Lions face is going to want to be the team that beats Penn State. That's a fact that he respects and embraces. Last year's team set the bar very high, but this is a new season with a new team that has a new set of goals.
"Players come and go in college," said Rose. "You don't have to try and reinvent the wheel to do some things differently or to showcase the players you have returning. We're going to try to compete at the highest level possible. Coaching is about finding the best opportunity to win with what you have and we're going to lead this group in a way that enhances all of their potential."