STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 12, 2003 - Matches against nine teams that competed in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, including three that finished the season ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation, highlight the 2003 Penn State women's volleyball schedule.

Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin ended the 2002 season ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll while Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Cincinnati, American, Indiana and Robert Morris also received bids to last season's NCAA Tournament.

Penn State holds a 309-69 record over opponents it will face in the 2003 season, including a 204-36 Big Ten record since joining the conference in 1991. The schedule also features two first-time meetings in women's volleyball, as the Nittany Lions will take on Maine and Southeast Missouri State for the first time in series history.

The Nittany Lions travel to three preseason tournaments to begin the year before returning home to host the Penn State Classic. Penn State opens the 2003 slate at the Maine tournament on Aug. 29-30 with matches against Rhode Island, Colorado, Maine and Southeast Missouri State before traveling to Akron to face American, Pittsburgh and host Akron on Sept. 5-6. The Nittany Lions close out their preseason road schedule by traveling to Provo, Utah, on Sept. 12-13 for matches against Rice and BYU in a tournament hosted by the Cougars. Sept. 19-20 features matches against Robert Morris, Brown and Cincinnati at the Penn State Classic.

Penn State travels to East Lansing, Mich., to open the Big Ten slate on Sept. 26 with a 7:00 p.m. match against Michigan State before taking on Michigan the following night in Ann Arbor, Mich. Defending Big Ten Champion Minnesota comes to Happy Valley on Oct. 18 and the Nittany Lions host Ohio State on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Penn State closes out the home Big Ten schedule on Nov. 22 against Wisconsin in a 7:00 p.m. contest.

2003 Penn State Women's Volleyball Schedule

 August 29-30 Fri.-Sat. at Maine Invitational 29 Fri. vs. Rhode Island Orono, Maine 11:30 a.m. 29 Fri. vs. Colorado Orono, Maine 4:30 p.m. 30 Sat. vs. Southeast Missouri State Orono, Maine 8:30 a.m. 30 Sat. at Maine Orono, Maine 1:30 p.m. September 5-6 Fri.-Sat. at Akron Tournament 5 Fri. vs. American Akron, Ohio 5:00 p.m. 6 Sat. vs. Pittsburgh Akron, Ohio 11:00 a.m. 6 Sat. at Akron Akron, Ohio 7:00 p.m. 12-13 Fri.-Sat. at BYU Tournament 12 Fri. vs. Rice Provo, Utah 7:00 p.m. 13 Sat. at BYU Provo, Utah 9:30 p.m. 19-20 Fri.-Sat. hosts Penn State Classic 19 Fri. vs. Robert Morris University Park, Pa. 7:30 p.m. 20 Sat. vs. Brown University Park, Pa. 10:00 a.m. 20 Sat. vs. Cincinnati University Park, Pa. 7:30 p.m. 26 Fri. at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 7:00 p.m. 27 Sat. at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 7:00 p.m. October 3 Fri. vs. Purdue University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 4 Sat. vs. Indiana University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 10 Fri. at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 8:00 p.m. 11 Sat. at Northwestern Evanston, Ill. 8:00 p.m. 17 Fri. vs. Iowa University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 18 Sat. vs. Minnesota University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 22 Wed. vs. Ohio State University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 24 Fri. at Wisconsin Madison, Wis. 8:00 p.m. 31 Fri. vs. Northwestern University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. November 1 Sat. vs. Illinois University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 7 Fri. at Indiana Bloomington, Ind. 7:00 p.m. 8 Sat. at Purdue West Lafayette, Ind. 7:00 p.m. 14 Fri. vs. Michigan University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 15 Sat. vs. Michigan State University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 19 Wed. at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 7:00 p.m. 22 Sat. vs. Wisconsin University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. 28 Fri. at Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn. 8:00 p.m. 29 Sat. at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 8:00 p.m.