STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Dec. 2, 2002 - Penn State junior middle hitter Cara Smith (Lafayette, Ind.) was tabbed as the Big Ten Volleyball Player of the Week for Dec. 2, conference office announced today. The honor is the first of Smith's career and is Penn State's 28th selection since it joined the Big Ten in 1991.

Smith enjoyed a standout weekend as Penn State notched two conference victories and a 14-6 second-place Big Ten finish. Friday night against ninth-ranked and Big Ten champion Minnesota, Smith put away 16 kills on 27 attempts with only two errors to hit .519, while also adding four blocks. The following night versus Iowa, the junior posted nine kills on 18 swing, without an error, to hit .500 for the night. She also added five blocks, including two solo efforts. For the weekend, Smith posted 25 kills on 45 swings with only two errors, an average of 4.17 kills per game. She hit a combined .511 in both matches, with an average of 1.50 blocks per game.

Smith has either been leading the nation or ranked second in hitting percentage all season long, currently hitting .432 with an average of 3.30 kills per game. She has also recorded at least one block and at least six kills in every contest this season. She currently stands fourth in the Penn State annals for single-season hitting percentage.

The junior will lead Penn State into battle Friday, Dec. 6 when the Nittany Lions take on Penn at 7:30p.m at Rec Hall in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The contest can be heard on the radio on WMAJ 1450 AM or on the web at www.GoPSUsports.com. Penn State's match is preceded by the Temple versus Manhattan College match, which will take place at 5:00 p.m. The winners of Friday's matches will square off on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Rec Hall for the right to continue on to the NCAA Round of Sixteen.

Penn State has earned the right to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament 15 times. Since the NCAA Tournament started sponsoring volleyball in 1981, only four teams in the country have appeared in all 22 events. Penn State joins Pacific, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara among the elite programs to accomplish the feat. The Nittany Lions have compiled an overall record of 37-20 (.649) in the NCAA Tournament, including a 24-1 record in postseason play at Rec Hall. All-session tickets for the first and second rounds will be available in advance until Friday at 5:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $10 and student, youth and senior citizens are $6. Those tickets can be obtained by calling 814-865-5555 or visiting the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. Single match tickets will also be available at the door on the night of the match only, with adults at $7 and students, youth and senior citizens at $5.

For more information on Penn State women's volleyball, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.