Blue White Illustrated

! ! | he talent scouts rated her one of the five best high school volleyball players in the nation in 2011, so it wasn't exactly a shock that Megan Courtney would find her way onto the court as a Penn State freshman in 2012. But no one – certainly not Courtney – knew just how quickly she would get her chance. "Right before our first match, pretty close to game time, Coach called my name," Courtney recalled. "I had a sense I might start, but I was still kind of in shock. It was like, This is really happening. This is real life." Real life got off to an encouraging start. Tabbed a starter by coach Russ Rose in her collegiate debut last August, Courtney registered a team-high nine kills in a season-opening sweep of Morehead State. She went on to start 35 of the Nittany Lions' 36 matches last season, finishing fourth on the team in kills and ending the season as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She's the 10th Penn Stater so honored in the past 11 seasons, and a convincing choice as BWI's Female Freshman of the Year. As anyone familiar with the Lions' powerhouse women's volleyball program knows, Courtney's early success will mean only one thing to Rose: An ex- pectation that she'll get even better, or watch as hungrier players pass her by. "He likes to say no one's spot is secure, ever," Courtney said of Rose. "He has certain expectations that he holds you to, and he pushes you to a point you didn't think it was possible to reach." CLARISSE LUMINET the first-year midfielder shined in her debut season at Penn State, ranking second on the team with 10 assists and winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. FENCING The foilist from Lyon, France, earned All-America honors in her first season at Penn State, placing second at regionals and seventh at the NCAA tournament. She finished the year with a 40-14 record. JENNA MOSKETTI LACROSSE Mosketti enjoyed a stellar debut season, winning American Lacrosse Conference Rookie of the Week honors four times. The midfielder from Fallston, Md., was one of the keys to Penn State's sprint to the NCAA quarterfinals. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ SOCCER After honing her skills as a member of the Costa Rican National Team, MALLORY WEBER SOCCER The Michigan prospect had been expected to make a significant impact at Penn State, and she delivered. Weber started 26 games and finished third on the team with 13 goals. SHANNON YOXHEIMER ICE HOCKEY One of the key players in Penn State's inaugural varsity season, the left-handed forward paced the Nittany Lions with 14 goals and 17 assists. After the season, she was named to College Hockey America's All-Rookie team.

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