UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Nittany Lion women's volleyball assistant coach Steve Aird is counting down the days to the first match of 2012.

The newest member of the coaching staff officially joined the program on April 3.  After nearly three months on the job, GoPSUsports.com caught up with Coach Aird in Rec Hall to discuss a number of topics, ranging from coaching to the 2012 season.

Aird is no stranger to Happy Valley.  He played on the men's volleyball team from 1997-2001.  Additionally, Aird served as the Director of Operations for the women's volleyball team in 2007 during the program's first of four consecutive championship seasons.

The Nittany Lion women's volleyball team returns to action in early August for the start of preseason practice.  For now, watch a sit down interview with new assistant coach Steve Aird.

Follow GoPSUsports.com Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony

This previous weekend we as a team were fortunate enough to help take part in helping out with the Special Olympics that Penn State hosts annually. On Friday night we were each given a flag with a Pennsylvania county name on it. As we waited with our flags by the BJC we watched as the athletes walked towards us from East Halls. As each group found the county they represented we paired up and started the parade to the baseball field for the games opening ceremonies. My county unfortunately could not make it at the last minute so I had to make the parade walk alone, but Maddie Martin had the group that I had last year which was really cool because we all remembered each other and had a chance to catch up. It made me realize that not only was this just an amazing experience to be a part of, but it creates great long-term friends for everyone.

The following night we all went out by the field hockey fields and played grass volleyball with whatever athletes wanted to join us. They had volleyball, soccer, and basketball, even a dance area with awesome DJ! By the time the sun went down it really began to become a party with everyone showing off their own dance moves and memories to last forever.

All in all such an amazing experience to be a part of. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Erica Denney

For the first time in my career here at Penn State, and apparently for the first time in many years, our team had the opportunity to play an inter-squad scrimmage during Blue White weekend. What a perfect way to finish off the spring season! Although we play against each other every day in practice, there's something exciting about being in our game jerseys and on our home court playing in front of our home crowd. Thanks to all of you who came out to support us! It was a hard fought battle between Team Blue and Team Qhite, having only a few points decide the winner of each set. The four sets we played were filled with big blocks, incredible digs, a couple of aces and some crazy rallies that seemed to keep going forever. All in all, I thought it showed how competitive our team really is and the passion that we play with every time we step onto that court.

As you all know, Kristin Carpenter and I just finished our last spring season. Where did the time go?? I know I can speak for her saying that it feels like just yesterday we were freshmen on campus. Once finals week is over this Friday, we will officially be seniors. I still can't believe it. Without a doubt in my mind, Penn State has been the perfect fit for me, both academically and athletically. I can't imagine playing for anyone other than Coach Rose. Not only has he taught me a lot about volleyball, but he has taught me about life and what is to come on the road ahead. 

This spring brought about some changes. We lost some players and an assistant coach, but we also gained a great resource in Steve Aird. We all improved in areas we needed to get better in, but the work is never over. This summer we are looking forward to improving and ready to keep working hard. See you in August!

Marika Racibarskas

            Hello Penn State Volleyball Fans! We hope you're having a great week and enjoying this awesome spring weather. We are when we're not in the gym!  It was great to see some of you this past weekend at our Spring Scrimmages. It was great to be competing in main gym again in front of some of our fan faithful.  If you weren't able to make it, that's okay! I'll fill you in on everything that happened.

            We had some new team colors in the gym with the arrival of Bucknell, Syracuse, Kent State, and George Mason. To cap it off we split our team into two squads to battle it out against the other schools. With each team we played two games to 25 points, and if time allowed we squeezed in a quick third game. It was fun to be competing against other teams in our home gym. There is nothing like playing in Rec Hall in front of our student section, families, and faithful crowd. All that was missing was the band! I'm really looking forward to being back in there Friday and Saturday nights in the fall with all of you. There was one thing that was a little different about the look of these matches, though: the up-referee. A few times Coach Rose took over the whistle. Coach seemed to be having a good time, and it put him in a prime spot to see the action and give feedback. Overall, it was a great day to be in the gym. If you missed out on the action there is still one more opportunity to see us play this spring. We will be playing in main gym, once again, this coming Saturday for a Blue/White scrimmage. The match is set before the Men's Volleyball match. Be sure to stick around after and show your support for Penn State Athletics. Hope to see you all there!

Katie Slay

This past Saturday, as one of our spring competition days, we were fortunate enough to travel to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.  When we got there our team split into small groups and all paired up with players from the Navy team, who showed us around the yard.  We had gorgeous weather, and loved seeing the river come up to the edge of campus.  It was really neat to get a behind-the-scenes tour of a campus so different from ours.  I don't think many of us would last with some of the things they have to do (freshmen aren't even allowed to listen to music!).  We got to eat lunch in the mess hall, where on weekdays all the midshipmen (a little over 4000 total) eat every meal together.  Again, it was really cool to get to experience something so different from what we're used to.  After lunch we hit the gym for a couple hours, intermixing with the Navy team to play some competitive drills.  It was a little distracting having an entire wall of the field house be windows, with boats docked in the river twenty yards away!  All in all it was an awesome day, meeting and playing with new people, and getting to see a very impressive academy!


Maggie Harding

While some people on the team (and Steve) thought it was the longest trip of their lives being a five hour trip, it was just another drive home for me. We got to Mechanicsville late that Friday night and there was my mom, the Slay's and Racibarskas' welcoming us. The next morning my mother, who is close to being the most wonderful person in the world, fixed us the best breakfast that I have ever seen. The girls had a field day and I was excited because I knew that I got to take any leftovers back to State College. It was weird seeing coach chilling on my front porch and I was certain that my above normal heighted teammates wouldn't fit in my house but somehow it happened. We got to my high school and it was just a blast from the past. Some of my former teachers and teammates stopped by as well as anyone who has been a part of my volleyball career. We played some really competitive drills and it was really great to play in my old high school gym. It was nice to finally play someone besides ourselves and UNC is a great team. I love watching our team make such big strides and that's what the spring is all about. We're getting better and I can't wait to see what the rest of the spring has in store for us.

Carp

By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Rec Hall has played host to Division I collegiate volleyball for a long time now, welcoming men's and women's volleyball fans into its stadium seats for weekend classics, EIVA championships and even national tournament contests.

But on Saturday, the courts in the main gym of the athletic facility showcased a different kind of volleyball than the typical Nittany Lion fan is used to seeing. The players on the court weren't jumping or sidestepping, or even playing on their feet.

They were playing on their butts.

Members of the U.S. Army Wounded Warriors sitting volleyball team came to Happy Valley to put on two exhibition matches featuring the game of Seated Volleyball. After the Penn State men's volleyball team finished its EIVA match against George Mason on Saturday evening, the Army athletes took the floor against members of the Penn State Ability Athletics program in its first match.

The 7-foot-11-5/8" net was lowered significantly, hanging just above the surface of the wood floor. Blue tape marked the changed court boundary lines, which covered a little more than half of the size of the typical collegiate floor space, and six players occupied the area on either side of the net.

The U.S. Army team took the first exhibition match over the Ability Athletics squad with ease in just two sets, and then welcomed seven Nittany Lions from the Penn State women's volleyball team to the court. Ali Longo, Deja McClendon, Dominique Gonzalez, Erica Denney, Kristin Carpenter, Lacey Fuller and Maggie Harding represented the five-time national champion team and gave the Wounded Warriors a run for their money, but lost in three sets to the national squad.

After the loss, freshman defensive specialist Fuller was still all smiles and said that in a rematch, she think she and her teammates would definitely be able to come out on top.

"It was different, but I got to play front row so that was amazing because I got to hit the ball and I got a few kills and it felt good," said Fuller. "A rematch is called for as soon as possible."

By Laura Finley, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - More than 500 miles stand between Deja McClendon and her hometown of Louisville, Ky. This weekend, however, that number has been cut down to 75 miles as the No. 8 Penn State women's volleyball team travels to Lexington, Ky., where they will face No. 9 UCLA in the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore outside hitter is eager to be back in her home state, as friends and family will travel to the game to see her in action.

"It's just awesome to be back in Kentucky, where I can see some of my friends and family that I don't get to see very often," said McClendon. "Hopefully, I can play in front of my friends who can finally see what I've been doing my whole life and at Penn State for the past couple of years."

Now, in her second year at Penn State, McClendon has established herself as a vital asset to the women's volleyball team. After concluding the regular season, she was honored with All-Big Ten First Team accolades alongside her teammate Ariel Scott. Currently, McClendon leads the Nittany Lions in kills, averaging 3.55 per set.

This success would mean little to McClendon, if it was not for the support she receives from home.

"My dad always wants to be there at the games and my mom used to help me get to practice all the time," said McClendon. "All throughout high school she would take so much time out of her day just to help me do what I love. Because of them, I've ended up where I am right now. They're a huge part of why I'm here."

With such a close-knit family, it has not been easy for McClendon going to school and playing volleyball so far from home. As the oldest of three, she misses most, the feelings of sibling camaraderie with her brother and sister.

"I'm really close to my siblings," said McClendon. "I miss them so much because I don't get to see them very often. When I get a chance to play close to home and they all get to be there, it's so rewarding for me. I finally get the sense of playing for somebody."

The excitement can be heard in McClendon's voice, as she also considers the prospect of seeing her old high school friends in the stands. Although many of her friends attend the University of Kentucky, she believes their allegiance will be with Penn State - for Friday that is.

"Most of my friends aren't avid volleyball fans so they'll probably be cheering for us," said McClendon. "They have a lot of school pride though, so I hope UK does well in their game too. It'll be interesting to see what my friends do if we end up playing UK on Saturday night."

The extra support will help McClendon adjust to the electric atmosphere the team will be playing in this weekend. After practicing at UK's Memorial Coliseum yesterday, reality has hit, as she prepares herself for Penn State's first away match in the tournament.

"We got in to practice and did our normal routine," said McClendon. "I can't wait to take the court [on Friday]. It's all about the spark you get from being in the tournament, and that's always really exciting. The whole team is excited and just ready to go out and show people what we've been working on all year."

McClendon is also proud of the way the freshmen have handled their first tournament, recalling her own pre-match nerves just last year.

"Some of the freshmen girls actually came up to me today and talked about the feelings they're having now and finally realizing what we're doing," said McClendon. "This is tournament time. They've never experienced this. It pumps everyone up and we all want to play our best. It really gives us that motivation to go for every point."

The pressure is on for the Penn State women's volleyball team, who will play UCLA tonight at 5 p.m. A match between UK and No. 1 Texas will follow at 7 p.m., with the winners of both matches set to face off at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.

In McClendon's words, "it's do or die" for Penn State.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament field has been trimmed down to 16, and the eighth-seeded Nittany Lions are in the Regional Semifinals for the ninth consecutive season.

Penn State marched through its first and second round matches in Rec Hall for a date against ninth-seeded UCLA (26-6) at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., in the third round of the tournament.  The Lions and Bruins will collide on Friday at 5 p.m. (ESPN3.com).  Top-seeded Texas (24-4) and host Kentucky (28-5) will meet at 7 p.m. (ESPN3.com).  The two winners will clash on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (Live on ESPN2) with a trip to San Antonio on the line.

The four-time defending national champion Nittany Lions will head on the road for the first time in the postseason seeking their 27th consecutive victory in the NCAA Tournament.  Penn State has won seven straight matches leading up to Friday's contest against a UCLA squad making its first appearance in the Regionals since 2008.

Penn State freshman setter Micha Hancock and the Nittany Lion attack tandem of Ariel Scott and Kentucky native Deja McClendon clicked in the Nittany Lions' 3-0 sweep of Delaware on Saturday.  Scott and McClendon tallied a combined 44 kills during the first two NCAA matches.

The Lions will be looking for more of the same from Scott and McClendon in Lexington.  Additionally, Katie Slay, Maddie Martin and the freshmen duo of Nia Grant and Aiyana Whitney will play a big role at the net for the Lions.  Serving and passing will again be crucial for the Nittany Lions against a talented UCLA squad. 

The Bruins lead the all-time series with Penn State by a 6-4 margin.  The last meeting came on Aug. 30, 2008 with the Lions posting a 3-0 victory.

The NCAA field is down to 16.  Saturday's matches around the nation will punch four tickets to San Antonio for the National Semifinals.  Friday begins Penn State's quest to be one of the final four teams left in the draw.


VIDEO: NCAA Tournament Player Preview Interviews

Regionals Statistical Rundown

A Closer Look at UCLA

The Bruins enter the Lexington Regional following victories over Maryland Eastern Shore (3-0) and San Diego (3-1).  UCLA finished second in the Pac-12, behind second-seeded USC, with a 17-5 conference mark.  With a 26-6 overall record, the Bruins put together several very solid victories during the season.  The list includes a season split with USC and a sweep of Stanford.  UCLA knocked off the Cardinal 3-0 on Stanford's home floor.

The Bruins played four teams that were on the Nittany Lions' schedule, including Oregon (1-1), USC (1-1), Stanford (2-0) and Ohio State (1-0).  Penn State posted a 3-2 record against the same teams.  As for personnel, 6-3 junior outside Rachael Kidder is the top offensive player for the Bruins.  She is averaging 4.56 kills per set while attacking at a .236 clip.  Fellow outside hitter Tabi Love, who Penn State is very familiar with after her two seasons at Minnesota, is second on the team with 2.68 kills per set.  Sophomore Kelly Reeves, who stands at 6-0, averages 2.05 kills per set for the Bruins.  Senior libero Lainey Gera is a very talented player with a beach volleyball background.

UCLA is a team with a very high volleyball IQ.  Penn State will be looking to play physical volleyball at the net.  Keep and eye on Kidder and Love for the Bruins.  They are the two players that can put a lot of pressure on the Nittany Lions.


Follow GoPSUsports.com Media Specialist Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony