Blue White Illustrated

MICHA HANCOCK hey weren't ready to play. Simple as that. The No. 1-ranked Nittany Lions stumbled in the 6rst two games of their Big Ten women's volleyball opener against Michi- gan State last September and faltered again in the 6nal game. The result: a 3-2 loss to the 15th-ranked Spartans that sent a shiver through Rec Hall and felt to junior setter Micha Hancock like "a slap in the face." Hey, happens to the best of us, right? It's a long season, and the Big Ten is a tough conference. No one could reasonably expect Penn State to prevail every single night. That's just not realis- tic. Except that where this program is concerned, that really does seem to be the expectation. The Lions had won 15 Big Ten titles and 6ve national championships heading into the 2013 season, and they were feeling energized and motivated this time around, driven by memories of a loss to Oregon in the 2012 NCAA semi6nals in which everything went sideways a7er Hancock tore ligaments in her ankle. They had a roster bursting with talented upperclassmen, and they had history on their side, too. Penn State had won nearly 90 percent of its Big Ten matches since joining in 1991, so it seemed likely that the start of conference play would serve as a nice spring- board to the team's ultimate goals. Didn't happen. Or did it? More than eight months have passed since that sobering defeat, and Hancock looks at it in hindsight as one of the pivotal moments in Penn State's season. "For us to come out at home in front of all our fans and get whupped, it just showed us that this year wasn't going to be an easy road," she said. "It was motivation to go that extra mile in practice. We needed that chal- lenge." The Nittany Lions certainly responded in the most constructive way possible. For all the drama at its start, the Big Ten season really did serve as a nice springboard to the team's ultimate goals. The Lions went on to win their remaining 19 conference matches, a7er which they stormed through the NCAA tournament, sweeping Wash- ington in the most lopsided 6nal four match since the tourney instituted rally scoring in 2008, then outlasting Wisconsin, 3-1, for the cham- pionship. And if it was a turning point for the team, it may also have been, in some small way, a turning T The All-America setter comes up aces as Penn State claims another NCAA title | S P E C I A L S E C T I O N CONTENTS 32 >> MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR David Taylor capped a history-mak- ing career by compiling a perfect record that included his second na- tional championship. 36 >> COACH OF THE YEAR Penn State's fencing team could have faltered after a difficult off- season, but thanks to the steady course set by interim coach Wes Glon, it instead won an NCAA title. 40 >> MALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Christian Hackenberg shot to na- tional stardom after just one season as the Nittany Lions' starting quar- terback. 44 >> FEMALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR When the Lady Lion basketball team needed her most, Kaliyah Mitchell delivered. 47 >> MOMENTS TO REMEMBER PSU won three national champi- onships, hired a new football coach and opened a dazzling new athletic facility. 52 >> LOOKING AHEAD Blue White Illustrated's staff offers some predictions for the upcoming athletic year. THE YEAR IN REVIEW F E M A L E AT H L E T E O F T H E Y E A R READY, SET, GO Hancock played a leading role in Penn State's national championship, wrapping up her junior year by winning tourney MVP honors. Photo by Mark Selders S P E C I A L S E C T I O N CHRISTIAN HACKENBERG Steve Manuel

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