By Tony Mancuso, Athletic Communications on June 13, 2013 10:50 AM
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2013 Post-Spring Depth Chart - June 13
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Head coach Bill O'Brien and the Nittany Lion coaching
staff spent the month following spring practice analyzing each position on the Penn
State roster.
On Thursday, O'Brien revealed the post-spring practice depth chart, which
features nine senior starters (five on offense, three on offense and one
specialist) and 21 players with at least one start in their careers. When camp commences in 53 days on Aug. 5,
there will be open battles at every position across the depth chart, including
competition for starting spots.
"We met with every player," O'Brien said.
"We reviewed all of the film from the spring. Number one, we felt like it was a productive
spring. We felt like we were able to
accomplish a lot at all three areas. And
that was good. A lot of that had to do with
the fact that our players have been in the program for a year. And then the newer players could watch the
older players and follow their lead. We
felt like some of the younger players on our team were really improved."
"When we met with the players, I think they appreciate us sitting down with
them and tell them one-on-one what their role is on the team and how they can
change that role," O'Brien said. "We
have a very good feeling about our team this summer."
Beginning at the quarterback spot, sophomore Tyler Ferguson and freshman
Christian Hackenberg are on the top line heading into camp. Ferguson enters his first regular season in
Happy Valley following a spring practice period marked by progress. Hackenberg comes to Penn State following a
decorated scholastic career. Both
players are smart, instinctive athletes ready to work hard and compete for the
starting job.
"Everything the quarterbacks do is on their own this summer," said O'Brien. "So, hopefully you have taught them enough
during the spring that they know what they can do on their own to improve,
whether it's watching film, studying the playbook, 7-on-7, 1-on-1 drills,
running routes with the receivers, and things like that. And these guys are the
type of guys who will work at it. Matt
McGloin made great strides last summer.
Now, he was an older guy and these guys are younger. So we'll see how they do with that. I think they will work hard, and we'll see
how it goes when we start training camp."
Both quarterbacks will have the luxury of lining up behind an offensive line
rotation that features no fewer than eight players with game experience. All-Big Ten right guard John Urschel will
anchor the Nittany Lion offensive line, which features three senior starters
heading into camp. Fifth-year senior Ty
Howle will line up at center, with Urschel and redshirt junior Miles
Dieffenbach at the two guard spots.
Senior Adam Gress (right) and redshirt sophomore Donovan Smith (left)
enter camp as the top tackles.
Additionally, Angelo Mangiro (center or guard), Eric Shrive (guard) and
Garry Gilliam, who moves to tackle for 2013, all have game experience.
The running back position will be one of the strong spots for the Nittany Lions
in 2013. Zach Zwinak returns after a
superb 1,000-yard rushing season in 2012.
Junior Bill Belton has put together the best offseason in his Nittany
Lion career, and he is ready to contribute in a variety of ways for the Lion
offense. Redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch,
who showed great potential during spring practice, will bring another dimension
to the running back stable with a superb blend of speed and power. After a consistent spring practice season,
Pat Zerbe will be the top fullback when camp opens.
Like the running back spot, Penn State has a deep pool of talent at tight
end. First Team All-Big Ten honoree Kyle
Carter, sophomore Jesse James and senior Matt Lehman all return to the group
after combining for 75 receptions and 10 touchdowns in 2012. Additionally, talented redshirt freshman
Brent Wilkerson and true freshman Adam Breneman join the fold following great
progress in the spring. In all, five
tight ends appear on the depth chart heading into fall camp.
Coming off a record-setting sophomore season, First Team All-Big Ten wideout
Allen Robinson tops the list of returning receivers on the depth chart. In addition to Robinson, senior Brandon
Moseby-Felder, sophomore Matt Zanellato and junior Alex Kenney are all veteran
players primed to contribute on the offense in 2013. Redshirt freshman Eugene Lewis heads onto the
field for the first time in his career this fall. Lewis had a terrific spring for the Nittany
Lions.
Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the Nittany Lions will have a nice
blend of youth and experience in the defensive line rotation. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Deion Barnes and
junior C.J. Olaniyan top the end positions.
Sophomore Anthony Zettel and junior Brad Bars, who made significant
strides during the offseason, make up the two deep at end. In the middle, senior DaQuan Jones and junior
Kyle Baublitz are primed to be key forces in the success of the Nittany Lion
defense. Redshirt freshmen Austin
Johnson and Derek Dowrey are among the primary candidates in rotation behind
Jones and Baublitz at tackle.
At linebacker, senior Glenn Carson, junior Mike Hull and redshirt freshman
Nyeem Wartman collectively played at a high level during spring practice. That trio will enter fall camp as the top
three linebackers on the depth chart.
Redshirt sophomore Ben Kline, who returns from injury in the fall, redshirt
freshman Gary Wooten and redshirt freshman Charles Idemudia fill out the
two-deep at linebacker.
In the secondary, the Nittany Lions enter 2013 with increased depth at all four
positions. At corner, sophomores Jordan
Lucas and Trevor Williams, who moved to the defensive side of the ball from
receiver in the spring, are atop the depth chart. Sophomore Da'Quan Davis and freshmen Anthony
Smith and Jordan Smith make up the two-deep.
At safety, junior Adrian Amos will enter the fall filling one spot. Amos is a gifted player with the ability to
play a number of positions on the defensive side of the ball. At the other safety spot, senior Malcolm
Willis and junior Ryan Keiser will enter camp in a battle for the top line of
the depth chart. Both Willis and Keiser
are leaders in the secondary who practiced at a high level during the spring. Senior Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, sophomore
Jesse Della Valle, Malik Golden and Jake Kiley will all battle for time in the
rotation at safety.
The special teams unit made good strides during the offseason, and both Sam
Ficken and Alex Butterworth enter fall camp with a great deal of
confidence. Ryan Keiser and Alex
Butterworth are listed as the primary holders, with Glenn Carson (punts) and Ty
Howle (kicks) handling the snapping duties.
Bill Belton, Alex Kenney, Akeel Lynch, freshman Richy Anderson, Trevor Williams
and Eugene Lewis are among the kickoff return candidates. Jesse Della Valle, Anderson, Belton and Williams
are listed as the punt returners heading into camp.
"We know that we have some depth at certain positions where we are hoping
younger players can step in and fill some needs there as we work through
training camp, but we feel good about our team," O'Brien said.
The depth and talent at the skill positions on the offensive side of the ball
stand out. The Lions will head into 2013
breaking in a new quarterback, but the new signal-caller will have his choice
of weapons, including five skilled tight ends, three running backs with three
unique styles and the Big Ten Receiver of the Year headlining deep receiving
corps.
Penn State kicks off the 2013 season inside MetLife Stadium, the home of Super
Bowl XLVIII, against Syracuse on Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. The Lions kickoff their home slate on Sept. 7
against Eastern Michigan at noon. The
Nittany Lions begin their 21st season in the Big Ten on Oct. 5 at Indiana. Call 1-800-NITTANY for tickets.
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Former Nittany Lion quarterback Wally Richardson
is full speed ahead in his new role as Director of the Penn State Football
Letterman's Club.
Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of the Football Letterman's
Club, which has more than 1,000 dues-paying members, Richardson is eager to see
the Letterman's Club grow into the future.
A Sumter, S.C., native, Richardson led the Nittany Lions to a 20-5
record as a starting quarterback during the 1995 and '96 season, including bowl
wins over Auburn (1996 Outback) and Texas (1997 Fiesta).
GoPSUsports.com sat down with Richardson to discuss his vision for the
Letterman's Club moving forward.
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Attitude is the name of the game for everything
Patrick Chambers does.
He and the Nittany Lion basketball program live by the motto of approaching adversity
with a choice. You can either face
challenges with a positive attitude or dwell on them with a negative attitude.
For Coach Chambers, there really is no choice. Everything he touches has a
positive tone involved with it.
The atmosphere surrounding Friday's 17th Annual Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament
at the Penn State Golf Courses was living proof of that.
Chambers was hired on the day of the CVC golf outing in 2011, and a warm,
sun-splashed Friday provided the setting for another positive step for he and
the outstanding event held at the Penn State Blue and White Golf Courses.
"It is a class event, a premier event," Chambers said. "You see how it is run, you see the sponsors,
you see how it is organized - it is amazing.
There is pressure on you to keep it going, to keep it fresh and to make
sure you are out front. I want to be
involved. I am going to be here. I am in
this for the long haul. We want to keep
it this way - first class and with the community so involved. It is very important to me."
Chambers, who spent the morning session making the rounds on the golf course
saying hello and greeting the participants before playing golf in the afternoon,
has the perfect attitude to lead a fight against a deadly disease, largely
because he truly never gives up.
He invited several Penn State head coaches, including head football coach Bill
O'Brien, to be a part of this year's golf tournament. In all, 10 coaches jumped at the opportunity
to participate in the event to help the cause to fight against cancer.
"It's a great event to be a part of," said O'Brien, whose mother is a two-time
breast cancer survivor. "I think Pat
(Chambers) has done a fantastic job of involving not just the Penn State
Athletics community, but the whole community of State College. It's just fun to be able to play golf knowing
its for a fantastic cause."
Chambers and O'Brien were paired together in a grouping during the afternoon
session on Friday. The CVC raised more
than $5,100 in an auction to earn the right to play with Chambers and O'Brien. Both head coaches are very good friends
outside of their day-to-day jobs, and it was a thrill for the four winners of
the auction to play a round with them.
"I'm a big supporter of Pat (Chambers), what he stands for and what he is trying
to do here," O'Brien said.
Chambers and O'Brien genuinely enjoy each other's company, and they always tend
to keep things light when they are together.
The duo wasted little time taking jabs at one another on the golf
course. Chambers asked O'Brien before
they headed for the first hole if he was going to take some practice swings on
the range. O'Brien said 'no', his first
swing of the day comes on the first hole.
"It's his tournament," O'Brien joked as he turned to Chambers. "I'm just here
to caddy."
"I brought my field hockey stick (laughter)," Chambers added.
The leader of Nittany Lion football ripped his opening drive down the fairway
of the first hole at the Blue Course, which led to an O'Brien birdie putt to
kick-start the group's round. Meanwhile,
Chambers was in the background calling his counterpart a sandbagger.
Beyond the laughs and lighthearted talk on the course, Chambers and O'Brien are
among many leaders who play an integral role in a battle much bigger than a win
or loss on the football field. A great
deal of credit goes out to former Nittany Lion basketball leaders Bruce
Parkhill, Jerry Dunn (both of which were in attendance on Friday) and Ed
DeChellis for helping lead the Penn State CVC into what it has become today.
The CVC Golf Tournament is the flagship event of the organization created to
raise funds year-round to support the American Cancer Society affected by the
disease in Centre County through the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund
(BCAF). In addition to the golf
tournament, Coaches vs. Cancer conducts a year-round calendar of seven events.
The golf tournament has more than doubled in size since it began in 1996-'97,
and there could not be a better man with a better attitude continuing to lead
the Penn State CVC fight than Coach Chambers.
With the funds raised in 2013, the CVC eclipses $2 million raised in the fight
against cancer. While it was a fun day
on the golf course, the bigger fight cannot be stated enough. To get involved as a sponsor or participant in Penn State Coaches vs.
Cancer please visit CVCPENNSTATE.ORG or call 814-330-3337.
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Watch head coaches Patrick Chambers and Bill O'Brien address the media at the Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament on Friday.
By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Steven Hill, Cody Lewis and Dave Walkling were the most
experienced and perhaps the most reliable pitchers for Penn State entering the 2013
campaign and finished their careers with the same description.
The numbers don't do them justice. The three senior pitchers were the heart and
sole of the Nittany Lion pitching staff, as well as the team as a whole, which
made the ending to their careers very fitting.
Against Michigan State on May 18, Senior Day, Penn State used just three
pitchers; Hill, Walkling and Lewis. Despite the loss, it was an appropriate end
for each of the pitchers.
Hill, despite battling a shoulder injury for the majority of the 2013 season,
threw seven and two-thirds scoreless innings against the Spartans, something
the Nittany Lions have seen many times during his career. The scoreless outing
was a perfect conclusion to his career at Penn State, which started as a
walk-on.
"The coaches gave me the opportunity my freshman year to walk on and they
helped me become who I am today," said Hill. "I couldn't have asked for a
better ending [to my career], individually. You just can't script it much
better."
Walking replaced Hill with two outs in the seventh inning and Penn State
leading, 1-0, and did what he had done his whole career at Penn State: throw
sliders and get outs.
Then, Lewis battled a tough Spartan lineup to toss the final two innings of the
season and his career.
It was an adequate end, not only because the three seniors were able to throw
consecutively in their last game in blue and white, but because of the way they
embodied the work ethic of the Penn State pitching staff as a whole.
They battled. Pitchers came into the game in tough spots and fought their way
through it.
Redshirt sophomore T.J. Jann also embodied that mentality, returning to the
hill in 2013 after what was thought to be a career ending arm injury during his
true freshman season in 2011. Jann was the Friday night starter for the Nittany
Lions throughout season and arguably the top pitcher on the staff.
Junior Greg Welsh erased a tough start to the season and finished the year with
a string of impressive starts, including a complete game shutout win against
Michigan State in the second game of the season's final series.
Freshman starter Nick Hedge and junior reliever Ian Parvin showed grit during
the season as did the entire Penn State bullpen.
The returning pitchers will have a tough task replacing Hill, Lewis and
Walkling, but certainly know what it takes to have a successful career at Penn
State. It starts with the bulldog mentality that Hill embodied in his four
years in blue and white.
"In [Hill's] four years here he has been outstanding for us," said assistant
coach Eric Folmar. "He's given us the chance to win every time out and is going
to be a hard one to not have around next year."
Lewis and Walking had similar praise from their coaches and teammates
throughout the season. Both seniors have confidence in the Lions pitching staff
moving forward.
Players on the current roster and the incoming freshman class will all have to
step up in 2014 in order to continue what the senior pitching staff built over
the past four years at Penn State.
"We have some guys that are on our team that are going to have to move into different
roles next year," said Folmar. "We also have some incoming recruits that are
going to have the opportunity to win a job as true freshmen."
The coaching staff is looking to take what they had in 2013 and continue to
build on it. From a pitching stand point, Folmar said that the biggest thing is
being able to make the pitch or get the outs they need in close games and that
will make a huge difference moving forward.
Despite the 14-36 record, Penn State will look at the bright spots that are
both leaving and returning for Penn State, which is great motivation as they
begin preparation for 2014 almost immediately.
"Today's game is great motivation heading into next year," said Folmar. "This
season is done and next year has already started for us. It is great motivation
because we never want to be back here again."
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Several members of the Nittany Lion football team
took time on Tuesday afternoon to ship several boxes of supplies to the Moore,
Okla., tornado victims.
Following the EF5 tornado that impacted Moore, Okla., and its surrounding areas
on May 20, student-athletes on the Penn State Football squad wanted to make a
donation to aide the tornado relief efforts.
The student-athletes packaged T-shirts, sweatshirts and water bottles and
shipped several boxes to help the victims of last week's powerful storm.
Take a look and hear from a few Nittany Lions who participated.
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UNIVERSITY
PARK, Pa. - Heading into the 2013 season, head coach Robbie Wine and his staff
had a lot of open spots in their lineup, but knew they had a pair of anchors in
seniors Luis Montesinos and Elliot Searer to lead the charge.
To
no surprise, the two captains did exactly that as they hit in the top five of
the batting order throughout the season and were a pair of the most reliable
offensive weapons for the Nittany Lions.
Searer
and Montesinos teamed up with sophomore designated hitter J.C. Coban to lead
the Lions in doubles with seven each while being three of the top four hitters in
terms of average on the team.
The
trio wasn't a surprise for the Nittany Lions, but the player who joined them in
the top four in batting average was.
Unanimous
All-Big Ten Freshman Team pick James Coates started from day one and
contributed from the outset, becoming a hit machine for the Nittany Lions,
especially when Big Ten play rolled around.
Coates
finished the year tied for the team lead in batting average (.295) and hits
(51) with Coban and led the team in runs scored (27), stolen bases (10) and on
base percentage (.392).
Coates, Searer and Montesinos all played 48 or more games in 2013 and adding
the impact of junior centerfielder Steve Snyder, who started all 50 games,
there was consistency atop the Nittany Lions order.
Outside
of those four players, a number of Nittany Lions contributed in various roles
during 2013. As a team, the Nittany Lions finished the year with a.258 batting
average, which Montesinos wasn't discouraged by.
Penn State had their chances to flip the script in a number of games, playing 21
games that were decided by two or fewer runs, but it was more Penn State's
inability to come through offensively in close games that stood out to the
senior.
"You
always want more, but we wish we could have put our hits together instead of
scattering them throughout the [season]," said Montesinos. "I feel like
offensively we were alright, we just needed a little more in some of the games
we lost by one or two runs."
However,
the end of the season brought a number of positives for Penn State as they look
ahead to the 2014 season.
"You
have seen some of these guys start to swing the bat really well over the past
few weeks," said Searer.
Montesinos
agreed, especially with another freshman, third baseman Tyler Kendall, who had
a hot bat to close his first season in the blue and white.
With
guys like Coates, Kendall and a number of sophomores that contributed in their
first two seasons, offensively, things are looking up in the coming years.
"You
feel confident because [our young guys] have played a lot of baseball and have
had a lot of at-bats under their belts, especially in James [Coates] and Tyler
[Kendall]," said assistant coach Eric Folmar. "There's no question that we have
a lot of guys coming back that should be able to lead this team next year."
For
Searer, as his career came to a close, he looked at the future of Penn State
baseball starting with the freshman Coates.
"I'm
satisfied with the way my career ended and the other guys should be, too," said
Searer. "We now pass the torch to guys like [Coates and Kendall] to turn things
around the next couple years.
"I
believe in these guys, they bleed blue and white and so does everyone else in
that locker room. That's the Penn State culture and [the love for this
university] is what's going to take us over the top."
By Michael
Renahan, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff
Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany
Lions fell to the Northwestern Wildcats, 15-7, in the NCAA quarterfinals
Saturday night in Evanston.
The loss marked the end to an extremely successful
season for head coach Missy Doherty and her team. It was the third time the
Nittany Lions loss to the Wildcats in 2013 and second year in a row they lost
in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Freshman Madison Cyr had a solid night for
the Nittany Lions scoring two goals on three shots and playing hard defense
against the Wildcats. Along with Cyr, fellow freshman Jenna Mosketti had two
goals while Molly Fernandez, Kelly Lechner and Maggie McCormick each had one.
On a warm night in Evanston the Nittany Lions
struggled to get going offensively allowing the Wildcats to jump out to an
early lead. The normally sound Nittany Lions turned the ball over often in the
early parts of the game and the Northwestern Wildcats took advantage taking a
5-0 lead in the first 20 minutes.
As a team, Penn State turned the ball over
seven times in the first half to just four from the Wildcats. The Nittany
Lion's difficulties controlling the ball continued limiting the team to just
three goals in the first half. By the end of the game, the Nittany Lions had
started to play their style forcing the Wildcats into seven turnovers of their
own, but it was too little too late.
Penn State scored four goals over a six
minute span in the second half of the game to bring the deficit down to eight,
but they would not be able to bring it any closer than that by the final
whistle. They outscored the Wildcats 4-2 in the second half and took three more
shots, but the 13-3 first half deficit was too much to overcome.
The fast pace Nittany Lions could not get out
on breaks early to get transition goals. Penn State has been dominant with
their transition play in 2013, but the Wildcat defense shut down the Nittany Lion
offense throughout the game. Penn State only had four shots in the first half
and 16 by the end of the game.
Penn State also struggled off the draw. The
Nittany Lions had had success in the circle during the early rounds of the NCAA
tournament against Canisius College and University of Massachusetts, but the
Wildcats owned the draw control on Saturday night grabbing 25 to Penn State's
17.
Defensively the Nittany Lions battled hard
but struggled to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard. Northwestern moved the
ball very effectively against the Nittany Lions finding cutters and drawing
fouls to create free position opportunities. It felt as if the entire first
half was played in Penn State's defensive zone.
Emi Smith was unable to repeat her solid
outing from last weekend. The freshman allowed eight goals in the first half
before Doherty put in backup goalie Ayla Halus. Smith did return to the game in
the second half and played much better recording two saves.
In the first half the Wildcats had five free position opportunities scoring on
three of them to widen the lead. In uncharacteristic fashion, the Nittany Lions
committed 12 first half fouls to help allow the Wildcats to control the pace of
the game. Throughout the season, the
Penn State defense had become known for its hard, but intelligent, contesting
of opponents. They took charges and forced turnovers regularly but were unable
to do so Saturday night.
Seniors Katie Guy and Colleen Shea played at
an extremely high level against the Wildcats. Shea had two forced turnovers,
but a team high six fouls. Guy, who entered the game No. 10 in the nation in
caused turnovers, had three of her own in the setback.
The 2013 season was the most successful under
third year coach Missy Doherty. The Nittany Lions took a very young team far
into the NCAA tournament. Throughout the year, the team grew both offensively
and defensively and matured together. Penn State saw players like Maggie
McCormick and Kelly Lechner become stars and a freshman class that is sure to
excel in the coming years.
The Nittany Lions enter the offseason with a
lot to be proud of. While they didn't win a national championship this season,
they certainly set high expectations going forward.
Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 15, 2013: That's a Wrap!
As I write this blog, I am completely exhausted by jet lag. This 10-day trek through central Europe was one that I will never forget. Over the last week and half, a bus full of players, coaches, and boosters had the opportunity to dive into the cultures of 5 different cities in 4 different countries. To say that our bodies and sleeping patterns were out of whack would be an understatement.
Early Wednesday morning after a relaxing last evening in the lobby, we all boarded the bus to the Milan airport. This time, unfortunately, all of the bags did not fit under the bus due to the increased size of the suitcases filled with gifts and shopping bags acquired throughout the trip. All of the girls used a weighing device to ensure all bags were under that dreaded 50 pound mark. Once the aisles of the bus were filled with suitcases, we were on our way to the airport.
After a smooth check-in process and a quick flight from Milan to Paris, we were left with a 4-hour layover in Charles de Gaulle airport. Our terminal was filled with high-end shops such as Prada, Fendi, Gucci and many more! The highlight of our time in Paris was when Wayne took a seat at the piano and started playing the Penn State fight song and alma mater! We all sang along right before we boarded the airplane.
Just about 8 hours later we landed in Philadelphia and made it through customs and immigration without any delays or problems. Before the rest of the group climbed onto the bus back to State College, I said my goodbyes to all because I was driving back to New Jersey with my family who met me at the airport.
I will never forget the memories I made on this trip with so many wonderful people. I want to thank all of you in the booster club for your countless hours of hard work over the past few years, which allowed us to enjoy such an incredible experience! I look forward to seeing you all in Rec Hall this fall!
Marika Racibarskas
Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 14, 2013: Ciao, Venice!
Hello, people. Today we are leaving Venice and making our way to our last stop in Europe. We woke up early, ate some delicious NUTELLA croissants, and bussed to Milan, Italy. On our way to Milan we saw a part of the Alps mountain range outside our bus window. It was cooooool.
Immediately entering into Milan, we went and ate lunch at the training center. We had it family style, meaning we started the meal with a pasta dish and then they would bring out a salad and the main course. As for the pasta, they added green onions and some bacon. Typically, I do not like onions at all, but our tour guide, TK, insisted I try them, and I ended up really enjoying them in the pasta. The main dish ended up being pork. It was good, but I could have definitely handled going for seconds.
After eating a tasty lunch, we walked over to our hotel and got ready to play the Italian National Team. We suited up and walked to the training center where we would serve and pass. After our serve pass, we would begin the European structured warm up and then compete. In the end of our scrimmage, we ended up splitting the games. They won 2 games and we won the other 2 games. Though, it was exciting to split a game with the Italian national team, it would have been nice to play out a fifth set. However, we would play them again the next day, anyway.
After the scrimmage, we went to our hotel and got ready to explore down town. We were all dressed up in the lobby and then made our way to the tram. We then got onto the tram and made our way to down town. Upon arrival, we immediately gathered around the Duomo. It was absolutely beautiful and we all took some pictures with it. After taking pictures, we dispersed and did whatever we wanted. I went and got dinner with Micha, Paulina, Deja, Chris, and Scott (also known as Jeremy). We went to a nice restaurant where I ordered a sea food antipasta. It was my favorite meal of the trip. It consisted of muscles, squid, shrimp, a nice sauce and bread. Before I dived into my plate, I had Micha take a picture of me eating an octopus tentacle, because it was cool.
After a fine meal with friends, the day was over and we took the #14 tram home and called it a day. #JEAH
Lacey Fuller
Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 12, 2013: Shopping in Milan!
For Milan as a city I experienced great shopping, if you know how to hunt for reasonable prices. I ran into two great shops that weren't high in cost but great quality and did a little splurging! I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity to come here and experience even just the city of a beautiful country.
Now for the volleyball...
After getting a taste of how the Italian National team plays and who we need to focus on, we should have a better handle on what to neutralize. We have to be more focused and crisp with our serve and pass game, but other than that the team is showing great effort. We have had such a eye opening experience playing and talking to pros throughout the trip. We are so blessed to have support like this boosters, parents and a university that backs us! Thank you all so much! CIAO!
Micha Hancock
Women's Volleyball European Trip - May 11, 2013: Hello from Slovenia!
We had another great day in Maribor. The day started off with a big spread of meats and cheeses and other classic breakfast foods which filled us up for the morning activities. We went straight from breakfast to practice where we had our best practice of the trip thus far. During practice, we had three professional players play with us, which was cool for everyone to get to play beside them but to also ask them questions about the professional world of volleyball in Europe. Following up from practice we took a bus into town as a group with the team and boosters to have lunch and explore Maribor. We went to a great pizzeria which was very yummy. They also had dishes of pasta and lasagna and by the look of some of my teammates plates, it looked delicious. For those of us who got pizza we each got our own personal pizza that was a challenge to finish it all but we all rose to the challenge! After lunch we walked around and of course we found ourselves some gelato.
Later in the day we had our second match against the Croatian National team. We competed very hard and came out with the 3-1 win. They were an extremely good team filled with a ton of experience and different ages. Ariel had a great game for the second day in a row and was one of the key factors to our win. Following the match we went to dinner at one of the best vineyards in Europe. The Croatian team came to dinner with us which was great to get to know them and to hear their insight on professional volleyball as well. We had a fantastic meal at the vineyard which completed our wonderful stay in Maribor. Thank you to all who made this trip possible. It's truly been amazing. Off to Venice!
Maddie Martin
Hey everyone! I hope you have all been following along our blogs about this amazing experience in Europe thus far! For me, being out the country is a completely different and new experience. Although my time in Europe is winding down, I can't even explain the beauty of Europe. If you have been following along, you may have noticed that we all have different topics to talk about. Well I was lucky enough to get one of the most beautiful and breathtaking tourist attractions in all of the world. Venice, Italy was an amazing city to see and walk around in. As many of you might already know there are gondolas, which are the boats that are famous to travel around the city. As I walked around the city, it was very hard to find your way around. We quickly found out that once you passed a store, there was a slim to none chance you were going to find it again. The girls, boosters, coaches, and managers walked around the city to meet in the main square to see the main attraction, the Basilica de San Marco. It was a beautiful church with architecture like I have never seen before. Fortunately for all of us, the weather as very cooperative until about the last twenty or so minutes when it started to rain. It was just an incredible view from evey way you looked. I think I can speak for everyone when I say this has truly been an experience of a lifetime that we will never forget. Everything about it has been breathtaking. I hope to see everyone soon and tell you all about this amazing trip that wouldn't be made possible without all of your generosity and support for the progress! We have made Penn State proud over here in Europe. We wear those letters with pride and always represent who we are.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Behind a five-run third inning and a complete
game, five-hit shutout from junior Greg Welsh on the mound, the Nittany Lions
(14-35, 4-19) belted 17 hits en route to a 9-0 victory over Michigan State (32-17,
11-9) on a sun-splashed Friday afternoon at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
On a day where all nine Nittany Lions in the lineup tallied hits, sophomore
catcher J.C. Coban opened the scoring with an RBI base hit through the middle
of the infield in the bottom of the first inning. However, it was Coban's second RBI single on
a sharply hit ball to right field in the top of the third that opened the gates
for Penn State's second shutout of the 2013 season.
"There was a big hole up the middle, and all I was trying to do was put the
ball up the middle in my first at bat," Coban said. "It was huge to get contributions from a
number of different guys (in the third inning)."
Freshman left fielder James Coates kick-started the big third with a single to
left field. In total, the Lions notched
six hits in the third, which included a two-RBI double from senior Matt
Paradise just inside the left field line.
An Elliot Searer RBI single to left capped the scoring to make it 6-0.
From there, the junior southpaw on the mound took over. Welsh tossed his first career complete game
performance while yielding just five hits.
He struck out just two and walked one on 102 pitches. Welsh pitched with great tempo and developed
an early rhythm to shut down Michigan State.
"Coach Bell always tells me, and I believe it, too, that I am really good in a
fast tempo," Welsh said. "I'm not really
thinking about each pitch to just keep on rolling. He did a good job in the dugout telling me to
just keep it up. There was a time in the
middle of the game where I kind of slowed it down when I was in the stretch,
but I picked it up and like working fast."
Michigan State leadoff batter Cam Gibson doubled to open the game. Welsh then retired the next nine batters
before the Spartans led off the fourth inning with a single. The key to the superb outing for Welsh was his
ability to throw strikes.
"Throwing strikes is huge," Welsh said.
"Recently, including myself, the whole staff has really had trouble
throwing strikes and giving our defense a chance to make plays. I was really happy trusting my defense back
there and pitching to contact, and they had my back all day."
The Nittany Lions added three more tallies in the bottom of the eighth to put
the game out of reach, thanks to an RBI single from Luis Montesinos and a
two-RBI single from Zach Ell.
One day after falling 16-1 in the series opener against Michigan State, the
Nittany Lions looked like a completely different ball club on Friday. Seven different players notched at least two
hits, led by Coban's three-hit, two-RBI effort at the DH spot. Friday marked Penn State's largest offensive
output in Big Ten play this season with 17 hits and nine runs.
"We're still fighting, and we are still competing," Coban said. "Greg (Welsh) was battling his butt off out
there, so we had to do our job out there, too."
"It was a great win for us, a huge win," Welsh said.
The Nittany Lions and Spartans will again do battle on Saturday in the regular
season finale. Penn State will honor its
senior class prior to the 1:05 p.m. first pitch at Medlar Field at Lubrano
Park.
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