Blue White Illustrated

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK After near-miss last year, Lions resume title quest | substantial percentage of Russ Rose's success as a college volleyball coach seems to come down to the simple fact that he is not easily impressed. It's the sort of point Rose makes often when talking about his teams, and one he reiterated more than once this summer, when he spoke about expectations for 2013. It was a conversation that came shortly after the Nittany Lions – national semifinalists last fall – returned from a weeklong trip to Europe, the sort of sojourn that encourages team-building. Based on early feedback, the trip seems to have served its purpose. "The girls said they felt they were making good progress," Rose said. "We'll see how that works out. I want to see it in action. I don't trust what I hear. I trust what I see." If that sounds harsh, well, that's Rose. Two years have passed since the last of the program's four consecutive national championships, and while Penn State has gone 58-11 in that span, it's clear that Rose isn't satisfied. During and after the 2011 season, when the Lions went 25-8 and lost in the Elite Eight, the coach made it clear to his players that they were less than the sum of their parts. Things were better in 2012 – the Lions went 33-3 overall and 19-1 in the brutally competitive Big Ten – but still, their coach thought something was missing. "The best teams have great talent and great commitment to each other," Rose said. "I think last year's team had good talent and spotty commitment. Just because you're an All-American doesn't mean you're a great teammate. The fact is, when you set the A bar so high, finishing third in the country is a disappointment." Despite the issues, last year's squad was tantalizingly close to hanging a sixth national championship banner. Facing No. 5 Oregon in the Final Four, the top-seeded Lions won the first set and twice served for a 2-0 lead before finally dropping the second set, 30-28. Were it not for an ankle injury to AllAmerica setter Micha Hancock early in the set, and a missed call at the net on one of the Lions' set points, the match might have been all but over. Instead, the Ducks seized the momentum and went on to a 3-1 victory. Rose comes into this season focused not on bad breaks and what-ifs, but on correcting the issues that kept last year's team from being even better. For starters, he expects more from senior All-Americans Deja McClendon, Ariel Scott and Katie Slay. "They were on the floor for the last national title," he said, "but my position is, 'That's it?' They had pretty good rookie seasons on the strength of upperclassmen." With the challenge laid down to those seniors – and with a healthy Hancock, now a junior, back running the offense – this team has a shot at establishing its own legacy. And, perhaps, even a new dynasty while they're at it. "I think this group has a good balance of athleticism and experience, and we'll have a little more depth than we had at a couple of positions last year," Rose said. "I think if we stay healthy, and if we get a little better in some of those areas where we were a little suspect, we can be better." And despite their hard-to-please coach, these Lions won't have to be that much better to once again be the I best. SOFTBALL Lehotak named PSU's new coach Penn State's national search ended on July 22 when Amanda Lehotak was named to succeed Robin Petrini as head coach. Lehotak spent the past two seasons at Texas-San Antonio, leading the Roadrunners to a 27-26 record and a berth in the Western Athletic Conference tournament this past season, the team's first year as a member of the WAC. Prior to her tenure at UTSA, she was head coach at Jacksonville University, where she improved the team's record in each of her five seasons. In 2011, her final season, the Dolphins went 44-16 and earned their first berth in the NCAA tournament. "I am so humbled that I have been chosen to take over this program with so much potential," Lehotak said. "I am excited to get to Penn State and get to work and make Nittany Lion softball a contender both in the Big Ten and on a national level." SWIMMING & DIVING Murphy to lead Nittany Lions Penn State has hired Tim Murphy as head coach of both the men's and women's programs. Murphy comes to University Park after compiling a 122-11 dual meet record in 15 seasons at Harvard. "I am looking forward to challenging the outstanding men's and women's student-athletes and to continue to build on the tradition of excellence," he said. Under Murphy, the Crimson won six Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League titles and posted seven undefeated dual meet seasons. I

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