Blue White Illustrated

2012-13 STAFF PROJECTIONS MALE NATE BAUER PHIL GROSZ MATT HERB TIM OWEN RYAN SNYDER ATHLETE Silas Redd David Taylor Ed Ruth Ed Ruth D.J. Newbill FEMALE ATHLETE Alex Bentley Maggie Lucas Alex Bentley Deja McClendon Maggie Lucas HANCOCK FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The Lions – ranked No. 1 in the pre- season poll as a mere formality – were a bit sloppy and disjointed in their sea- son opener against the Ducks. Penn State lost in four sets – its first home loss since 2005. "We weren't happy with how hard we played against Oregon," Penn State as- sistant coach Kaleena Davidson said. "So we decided we should just give Micha a try and see if she could han- dle it." Rose moved junior Kristin Carpenter, the starting setter of the 2010 cham- pionship team, to defensive specialist. Hancock was thrust into the spotlight – and delivered. She put on a clinic against then-No. 2 Southern California, finishing with 45 assists, leading the team to a .298 at- tack percentage and totaling six aces. But what got the 6,165 fans in a jam- packed Rec Hall most excited was her play at the net. Hancock, who split time as a hitter in high school, isn't afraid to be bold. Her signature move is a quick dump over the net to catch the other team off guard. Hancock took eight swings that night, putting seven down for kills. Penn State defeated the Trojans, 3-2. "We always knew she had a ton of po- tential," Davidson said. "But that's when we realized she could work un- der pressure." Penn State had a daunting early-sea- son schedule. In the first three months, the Lions faced 11 ranked teams. It sure wasn't easy for the young squad. But as Hancock improved, so did the Lions. Hancock finished the season with 87 30 A U G U S T 2 1 , 2 0 1 2 MALE FRESHMAN Eugene Lewis Jimmy Gulibon Donovan Smith Kelton Cheney Donovan Smith FEMALE FRESHMAN Candice Agee Candice Agee Candice Agee Candice Agee Candice Agee COACH Cael Sanderson Bill O'Brien Coquese Washington KALEENA DAVIDSON ON MICHA HANCOCK "We always knew she had a ton of potential." aces, breaking the program's single- season record. Her 0.78 aces per set ranked second in the nation. Hancock wasn't supposed to play at Penn State. She was committed to Tul- sa, where she was going to be team- mates with her older sister, Kelsey. But when Tulsa's coach took another job, Hancock was released from her com- mitment. HONOR ROLL TATUM COFFEY LACROSSE A starter in all 19 games, Coffey tied for second on the team in goals with 34, ranked third in points with 40, and led her Nittany Lions with 53 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers. Hailing from Toms River, N.J., Coffey received third-team All- America recognition from the Inter- collegiate Women's Lacrosse Coach- es Association. She also appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" after scoring 11 goals in two games in March. LAURA GEBHART FIELD HOCKEY A native of Mount Joy, Pa., Geb- hart started every game at midfield and earned first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-America honors after her stellar freshman season. She finished the season tied for third on the team with 24 points and second with 12 assists; the latter stat was fifth-best in the conference. Capping her outstand- ing freshman season, Gebhart was one of 15 players named to the U.S. National Developmental Squad. EMILY HURD SOCCER After suffering a stress fracture in her foot during her first year on campus, Hurd rebounded during her redshirt freshman season. The midfielder from Sammamish, Wash., made 24 appearances, including 13 starts during Big Ten and postsea- son play. She finished the season with five assists and six goals, in- cluding a long-range winner against Purdue. Hurd also earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week Honors in October. NIA GRANT VOLLEYBALL On a roster loaded with young tal- ent, Grant was one of the many freshmen who contributed to the Li- ons' 25-8 campaign. She finished the season with 151 kills, which was good for fourth place on the team, and a .356 kill percentage. A former team captain at Howland High School in Warren, Ohio, Grant finished second on Penn State's team with 107 blocks. LAUREN KENNEY TRACK & FIELD At State College High, Kenney was one of the country's top-ranked javelin throwers. She continued in that role with the Nittany Lions, claiming first-team All-America hon- ors during her first year on campus. She finished the NCAA tournament in fourth place – behind teammate Laura Loht, who finished third – with a final throw of 167 feet, 10 inches. The toss, which surpassed her previous career-high by 5 feet, puts her fifth all-time in the Penn State record books. She also fin- ished second in the Big Ten tourna- ment. – T.O. W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M TO REMEMBER MOMENT Nits find themselves in Indianapolis for Big Ten Championship Game Football team makes a legitimate run for the Big Ten Leaders Division title Coquese Washington Wrestling team repeats as national champion Bill O'Brien Wrestlers nab the three-peat with another five national finalists Penn State defeats Urban Meyer and Ohio State The first time Davidson saw Hancock play was at the Under Armor All-Amer- ican game. Davidson was there to see Aiyanna Whitney, who had committed to Penn State. But a player on the oth- er team caught Davidson's eye. "I remember seeing Micha, and of course I noticed her serve, and I thought, 'Wow, Tulsa's getting a real- ly good player,'" Davidson recalled. "And for sure, are we glad she's on our team now."

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