Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/557480
Player of the Year Micha Hancock and fellow senior Nia Grant, the Lions lost not only their starting center and best middle hitter, but much of the vocal lead- ership from a 36-3, title-winning squad. Penn State does return a pair of senior outside hitters in Aiyana Whitney and Megan Courtney, the latter of whom was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA championships last December. But although she's only a sophomore, Frantti knows her experience and importance to the team mean she'll be asked to help fill the void, as well. "I'm not a freshman anymore, and Coach has definitely put that through my head," she says. "I honestly want more respon- sibility, to take ownership on this team. We graduated a lot of leaders, especially Micha; she honestly just set the bar for everyone. Someone's got to step up, and I'm hoping I can do that." ■ Penn State atop preseason AVCA poll After winning the past two national championships, Penn State enters the 2015 season with its second consecu- tive No. 1 overall ranking. The Nittany Lions are atop the AVCA Division I coaches poll, having received 54 of a possible 60 first-place votes. Penn State is one of six Big Ten schools to be ranked in the AVCA Top 25 and one of four conference pro- grams in the top 10. Tied at No. 5, Ne- braska and Wisconsin join the Nittany Lions in the top five, while Illinois is eighth. Ohio State is 14th, while Michigan State is 19th. Purdue, Min- nesota and Michigan also represent the league in the poll, as all three are receiving votes. In addition to six matches against Big Ten opponents ranked in the Top 25, Penn State will play host to No. 2 Stanford and No. 24 Colorado at home in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge Sept. 4-5 in Rec Hall. Since 2007, the Nittany Lions have ranked within the top three of every AVCA preseason poll. During that span, they have been voted No. 1 six times (2008-11, 2014-15). Penn State also tops the preseason Big Ten poll. It's the 10th time in the past 11 seasons that the Nittany Lions have been picked to win the league championship. TORNADO ALI Frantti took the collegiate volleyball world by storm last season, winning nation- al Freshman of the Year hon- ors. Photo by Mark Selders/ Penn State Athletics