Salutations planet Earth. This is Lacey. It has been nice spending most of November playing in Rec Hall and not being on the road. Last weekend we faced both Illinois and Northwestern. Traditionally these teams play really hard against us, so we had an intense week in the gym preparing.

On Thursday Illinois practiced in the morning while we were sitting in class getting our academia on. After a long day of getting educated, we had a brief practice and got some touches before the game. Following this ritual, game-day practice we watched film and ate Rotelli's. Eating is my favorite. My typical Rotelli's plate will consist of 2 slices of pineapple, no salad, and spaghetti. My second plate will then typically consist of several bread rolls. Traditionally I will consume about seven rolls but sometimes I'll challenge myself and go for that eighth or 12th roll. Lastly I went for three cookies, compliments to Mrs. Courtney.

After the meal we had to get focused and warm up for the game. We were all anxious to play after a good week of practice. Illinois played hard, but we ended up winning the game in three. We had a really good serving game, which was good because we have struggled this season with serving.

After the win we were ready for our Saturday game against Northwestern. I was especially excited to play the wildcats because my former high school teammate, Katie Dutchman plays in the middle. They dug a lot of balls and played well, but we ended up winning the game. Coach always emphasizes how hard Northwestern plays and we were ready for them to make great plays.

It was good getting two solid wins but now we need to prepare for a tough weekend in Indiana. Hopefully we play well and claim the Big 10 title. We shall see. Over and out.

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - When a team prepares to play against Penn State, it makes sure to watch out for the blue and white jersey with the number one on its back.

The girl wearing it stands at around 6-foot-4 and is most dangerously found wading toward the right side of the net.

She's got a weighty swing and big block, and she's not afraid to use them.

On the Nittany Lion roster, she's listed with the name 'Ariel Scott'. But her coaches and her teammates like to shorten her first name to just one letter, making her more commonly known around State College as just 'A. Scott'.

The junior right side hitter has become a stronghold for the Penn State offense and a silent leader on the court this season. As a co-captain, Scott has taken on the role of being one of the most reliable athletes in the starting rotation.

"I think she's a very intimidating player," said teammate and fellow junior Deja McClendon. "She's a tremendous presence. She hits a heavy ball and I think that when people see that, they're afraid. I think she's done a really good job of being a leader."

Scott has been able to draw attention to herself on defense as well, stepping up at the net and fronting 74 total blocks this season. That number is third-best on the Penn State roster behind only her two middle blockers, Katie Slay and Nia Grant.

"She's a threat in the front-row and the back-row so they have to be worried about her all the time," McClendon said of her team's opponents facing Scott. "That opens up the door for other players. She allows the middles to have one-on-ones and allows me to have one-on-ones and that helps in so many aspects."

The Ridgewood, New Jersey native has shined throughout all 95 sets she has played this season, tallying a team-high 346 kills on 3.64 kills per set.

So what sparked such high-level performances this year compared to last?

"I think more experience has definitely been helping me," said Scott. "My freshman year I didn't play all that much and last year was my first year that I was on the court full-time so I think the swing my second season definitely helped me a lot."

Alongside former talents of Blair Brown, Arielle Wilson and Fatima Balza, Scott's talent did not fully come to the forefront until this season. Now, the junior says that instead of relying on one or two people to generate offense, she and the Lions tend to share the wealth.

"I think this year, especially, we've been really good at scoring from all positions," said Scott. "The middles are doing really well, [Megan Courtney]'s doing really well, Deja is also good at scoring too so it definitely helps to have an all-around team."

And while Scott said that she appreciates her teammates for their offensive output, her teammates are thankful that she is as calm, cool and collected as she continues to be.

"I think she's really mellow and I really like that about her," said McClendon. "She's never too crazy or too low so I think she keeps us grounded. We need that."

The veteran knows what it is like to win a national title and what it's like to finish just shy of one.  With just four matches left in the regular season, Scott said that the Lions are doing everything that they can to keep pressing and keep challenging their opponents one at a time. 

"We have Big Tens and we're finishing Big Tens soon but that's not our final goal," said Scott. "Our final goal is a national championship so we're going to keep working harder for that." 

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Coming in at 23-2 overall with just one conference loss this season, the Nittany Lion women's volleyball team sits atop the Big Ten leaderboard with six regular season matches left to play.

In the Big Ten, the Lions lead all other teams in three specific categories. They are first in kills per set averaging 14.69, blocks per set with 2.93 and also rank as the top team to limit their opponents' hitting percentage to just .142, collectively.

All in all, the student-athletes that represent the Penn State program have been putting in the hours and putting up the numbers they need to be successful in the conference. The Lions are looking to continue that trend this week as they host Illinois on Thursday at 8 p.m. and Northwestern on Saturday at 8 p.m.

But part of the same successful program that may not always be in the forefront of a practice or a match or a statistics report are the people that sit on the sidelines in the chairs match in and match out.

Head coach Russ Rose is in his 34th year with the Nittany Lion program and said that whether his team has one mid-week match or a weekend full of matches, preparation is always key.

"Illinois is a good team," said Rose. "But I think every match is a tough match."

This season Rose said that he has been placing more focus on his team's play rather the opponents' in preparation for a match. But after a tough first half of the conference season where his team played the majority of its volleyball on the road, Rose said that he's happy to be competing at home this weekend.

"We have to take advantage of these two weeks at home after being away for what seems like five or six weeks," said Rose. "I think that's really important especially around here."

Rose is joined by assistant coaches Kaleena Davidson and Steve Aird in leading the Lions. Aird is in his first year with the Nittany Lion program and said it's important that the team understands how to get better every day.

"I think they understand the gameplan," said Aird. "Coach [Rose] works really hard at developing a gameplan that's going to be something that the kids understand going into matches. So the feedback we're getting from them is, 'Hey, we know what we're supposed to be doing.'"

The first time the Lions and the Illini met this season, Illinois pushed the match into a fifth set behind a strong offensive performance and tough blocking at the net. Penn State went on to win the match, 3-2, but not without a fight.

On Thursday, Aird said that it's especially crucial for his team to use what they've learned in the practice gym and project it onto the court.

"The key is just execution," said Aird. "The kids have watched lots of film. I think they're a lot more mature about their games and a little bit more prepared than they have been in the past and I think that's a good thing."

Hello everyone! Megan Courtney here! I hope everyone is staying warm and safe from the destruction of hurricane Sandy. Can you believe that Penn State actually closed the university for a day?! Me either! I was shocked! But as my mom always says safety first! Not only was campus closed, but practice was cancelled as well! Don't get me wrong I love playing and practicing, but we could all use a day off! During this rare and unusual free time I actually got stop and just enjoy the little things. It gave me a chance to actually do things I enjoy outside of volleyball and my very busy schedule. I think I can speak for most of the girls when I say that it was truly a blessing.

But like always after our day off, practice and lifting was a lot tougher the next day. Coming off the loss to Nebraska, things were tough for all of us. But it wasn't time to focus on the things we didn't do right, but to move forward and learn from our mistakes and missed opportunities. During our week of practice we were all focused on our next opponent, Minnesota. Without a doubt, we gave them the attention they most definitely deserve. We knew they were good, and we knew what we had to do to get another W. That is exactly what we did. We were for sure tested and pushed by Minnesota, but we ended up on top after a great match by both sides. Minnesota is a great team and a tough opponent to play against so I give them the utmost respect.

On Sunday, I got the opportunity of a lifetime, to play the game I love with a group of amazing girls and a great coaching staff for nationally televised network, ESPN2. The opponent: Wisconsin. Once again, after the Minnesota game, we looked at the good things, put them in our memory banks, learned from the bad things, and turned our focus toward Wisconsin. If I have learned anything about the Big Ten this year it's that any given night a team can beat another. It is arguably the most competitive conference in the country. It really tests your skills physically and mentally. You are required to play your best every night or you could be defeated rather than victorious.

I hope to see you all on Thursday as we take on a tough Illinois team. Our game is on the Big Ten Network so be sure to come out and continue to support us and tell your friends and family about the game. It's never a bad thing to have too much support :)

Megan Courtney

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The third-ranked Nittany Lions returned home for the first time in two weeks and made the most of it by grabbing two more Big Ten wins.

Penn State defeated No. 10 Minnesota in four sets on Friday night in Rec Hall and continued to dominate on Sunday with a sweep of Wisconsin.

It was a team effort all-around as six Lions recorded more than 10 kills, four had more than 10 digs and combined the squad tallied 17 service aces.

Junior outside hitter Ariel Scott had a standout weekend with 20 kills against Minnesota and another 14 against Wisconsin for a total of 34 kills on the weekend. She said that she and her sophomore setter Micha Hancock have been working on solidifying their connection on the court, and she was happy that it improved in two crucial conference outings.

"Just between the two of us in the past we've had some communication problems just because we're on the some side of the court," said Scott. "We're really working on working that out and I think, especially at this point in the season, it's beneficial to the whole team."

Service errors and inconsistent passing have plagued the Lions in recent matches and has been a sticking point for the team thus far. But Penn State passed well out of the back-row and kept their serves between the white lines during both matches, suffering a total of just 17 service errors in the two contests.

Junior middle hitter Katie Slay attributed the solid play to her team's ability to communicate well and really concentrate on playing good volleyball from start to finish.

"We just have to come out and play to our level on our side of the net and that's really what we have to focus on," said Slay. "Coming out of the gate we have to start strong."

Slay is not only a returning All-American but also a team captain this season. She said that she constantly reminds her teammates to keep pushing their limits and work on themselves before they worry about their opponents.

"In the home stretch we really have to focus on our side of the net," said Slay. "I know we say that a lot but it's super important because you have to have a certain level of expectation so you know what you're going to bring out on the floor."

At 12-1 in the conference with just five matches left to play in the regular season, the Lions sit atop the Big Ten leader board with a two-game advantage over their next closest competitor. The Penn State women's volleyball program has claimed the Big Ten conference crown in 14 of the last 20 seasons.

Rose said that while he acknowledges the conference success of the program over the past couple of decades, he hopes that his team's outcome this season will be determined by their own will to compete rather than its assumed expectation.

"These guys should want to win because they want to win," said Rose. "You've got to have your eyes going forward and play it out and go hard. It's been a great fall."

Penn State controls its own destiny.

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After two weeks on the road that ended in a tough loss to then fourth-ranked Nebraska, the Nittany Lions are finally back in their home gym. And man, are they relieved.

"I just love this gym and I am always so happy to come back," said junior outside hitter Deja McClendon before a practice this week. "Now it's time to go to work."

McClendon and her Lions will open up the weekend against Minnesota on Friday at 8 p.m. in Rec Hall. The team will have a day's rest and then host the Badgers of Wisconsin on Sunday at 2 p.m.

No. 3 Penn State has played 12 conference matches already this season, and with just eight Big Ten matches left in the regular season the team is looking to finish strong. The Lions hold an 11-1 record in the conference, dropping their only match to the Cornhuskers in five sets last weekend.

McClendon said that matches like the one against Nebraska aren't always the most fun to deal with immediately after, but eventually serve as motivators for her team.

"Games like that where we let up and we lose, that kind of stuff really fires us up and tells us to get in the gym, start practicing, it's not over 'til it's over," said McClendon. "It doesn't matter if you've swept them once or beat them once, it's a new game."

Because the squad is more than halfway through its conference schedule, the rest of the matches that the Nittany Lions play will be against teams that they've already faced at least once this season. McClendon said that there are both advantages and disadvantages of playing a team that they've seen before.

"The second time a lot of it has to do with how your team has adjusted and I think that since [the other team] kind of knows some of our freshmen better this time around it's going to be a little bit easier for them to adjust. But it's the same with us - we've seen these serves a couple of times around so we have time to get ready for them too."

Penn State heads into the weekend at 21-2 overall and has not fallen out of the top five ranked teams since the season began in August. The team has cruised offensively for the majority of their match-ups, out-hitting their opponents by a percentage of .302 to .136 and taking 15 of their victories in just three sets.

McClendon said that at this time in the season players have a tendency to slowly break down both mentally and physically, but said that she has yet to see that in any of her teammates.

"I think as a team we've come together and we're a lot tighter," said McClendon. "[Micha Hancock]'s getting a lot better. I think she's adjusting and our middles are connecting a lot better with her right now. We've learned a lot."

Sophomore setter Hancock echoed her elder teammate's thoughts and said that at this time of the year, the Lions know what they want to do - they just have to go do it.

"This is when it really matters," said Hancock. "The last games are what determine who wins the Big Ten, who gets the good seeding and everything for the tournament so this is where we really need to focus."

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The third-ranked Nittany Lion women's volleyball team returns home on Friday for the first time in two weeks.  Penn State takes on Minnesota on Friday at 8 p.m. (BTN) and Wisconsin on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ESPN2).

GoPSUsports.com caught up with libero Dominique Gonzalez for a one-on-one to get ready for the home matches.

Follow GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony

Hey Penn State Fans,

I hope that everyone was safe with Hurricane Sandy ripping through the east coast. I know there was extensive damage in a lot of your areas. We were lucky here in State College, and we were just hit with rain and wind.

Now to talk about volleyball! We just finished up a long two-week road trip this past weekend. Last Tuesday we traveled to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes. They host us in their very large basketball arena. It is cool experience to play in such a large gym, but it also puts an even bigger emphasis on bring energy to the floor. Since it's not a very loud gym packed with students it's up to us to provide our own energy for the match. Iowa plays hard, and Wednesday night was no exception. They didn't let up and took good swings. After the match we were able to go straight to the plane to fly home. We're very lucky to be able to do that. It is nice to get back to class as many of us had tests and quizzes on Thursday and Friday.

Friday night we went to the endowment dinner where we were able to thank everyone who shows support to the university by endowing scholarships. It was a nice event, and we are so grateful to everyone who contributes. This university would not be what it is today competing at a high level academically and athletically without their help. Then the next morning we had practice at Rec before heading off to Lincoln.

It was game day in Lincoln when we arrived on Saturday. It was neat to see their downtown area while everyone was out and about. We were able to rest for the remainder of the evening, and catch our football game on TV. Sunday morning we had a light practice before match time and got touches. Nebraska is always a tough place to play because they have a very loyal and loud fan base. The match was intense. While we didn't win we learned both good things about our team and things to work on. We're working to keep getting better.

We're excited to take the floor again this weekend in front of our home crowd. It will be nice to have some home matches. See you all there!

Hello Nittany Lion faithful! What an extended road trip we have had. We have been traveling for what seems like all of October. In this week's matchup, we played at Ohio State on Wednesday and Michigan on Saturday. Going into these matches, we knew both teams would play us very tough, especially in front of their home crowd.

We arrived in Columbus on Tuesday after a short practice in South Gym. For many of the girls, this hotel was located right next to a favorite restaurant from home, Sonic. Although I personally didn't have a Sonic growing up, I know a bunch of the girls did and they were more than excited to get a quick taste of home. After our pregame practice the next morning in St. John arena, it was time to rest, watch film, and catch up on any schoolwork missed that day. When we arrived at the match, we knew Ohio State was more than ready to play us. This three set battle consisted of high paced volleyball. With the win, we loaded our things onto the bus and quickly flew back to State College.

Our flight to Ann Arbor was on Friday afternoon, just after two days of practice and classes in Happy Valley. Here we go, on the road again! It was a football weekend in Ann Arbor so there were crowds of people all over town. We practiced much earlier than normal on that morning to avoid the tailgaters and the traffic they create. Because of this, we had plenty of time to rest and prepare back at the hotel. We knew Michigan, similar to Ohio State, would play one of their best matches against us. They fought hard and we battled point after point all the way to the fifth set. The crowd was very loud creating deafening noise in the tiny Cliff Keen Arena.

We came out of this week with two big wins on the road in tough venues to play in. The road trip continues as we travel to Iowa on Tuesday and Nebraska on Saturday. Can't wait to be back in Rec Hall!