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our freshmen, sophomore and juniors, we want to win for them. It's an incredible experience and a memory you won't for- get. So that's what we're pushing for – leaving the program better than it was when we came in." The Nittany Lions appear primed and ready for yet another deep postseason run. After winning all nine sets it played on opening weekend at the West Virginia Invitational, Penn State toppled then- No.1 Stanford, 3-1. One week later, at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at Illinois, it met the Cardinal again and emerged with another victory, this one in five sets. Frantti's fingerprints were all over both wins. She was one of four Nittany Lions with double-digit kills in the first meet- ing and also played an important role on defense, racking up 14 digs. As if that weren't enough, Frantti also contributed a pair of service aces to the effort, com- prising half of Penn State's match total of four. In the rematch, she finished with a sea- son-high 20 kills, eight of which came in a 25-22 victory in the second set. Those numbers were the byproduct of a highly focused off-season. One of her top priorities was to improve her serving. "I think this year especially, I want to concentrate on serving aggressive," Frantti said. "It's one of the things that Coach talks about a lot in our gym. So being aggressive with our serves is cru- cial." Also embedded in Frantti's perform- ances against Stanford was a theme that has persisted throughout her career at Penn State. With the flashy roles on of- fense already occupied by stars Haleigh Washington and Simone Lee, Frantti has consistently been asked to do it all for the Nittany Lions. It's a role she has embraced. In 2016, Frantti finished second on the Nittany Lions with 219 digs and 295 total kills. Her 16 service aces were good for fourth on the team, just one behind Lee. This season, Frantti hit a milestone by becoming only the 26th player in school history to record 1,000 career kills. She reached the plateau in a sweep of West Vir- ginia in August, and in keeping with Penn State custom, she expressed more excite- ment over the team's performance than her own place in the record books. "I'm happy that our team got a 3-0 win this weekend," she told GoPSUSports.com. Now in her fourth year alongside Frantti on the court, Washington has been im- pressed with her teammate's develop- ment. "If you look at her and watch her play freshman year versus now, she's a re- ally different player," Washington said. "She went from just being on the floor to having to have more of a responsibility and more of a role." Washington is also aware of what's on the shoulders of this year's senior class. As important as their contributions to the stat sheet are, the seniors also are expected to exert leadership in the locker room and on the court, because playing for Rose isn't about putting up numbers. It's about hanging banners. Frantti and Washington "were on the floor when they won the national cham- pionship their freshman year," Rose said. "They know the difference between end- ing with a big party and ending a season disappointed and looking forward to the next one. In their case, this is their last next one." ■ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Penn State takes two from defending champs The Big Ten may be one of the best leagues in women's collegiate volley- ball, but why settle for a tough confer- ence schedule when you can also play a tough nonconference schedule? That's coach Russ Rose's philosophy, and it helps explain why Penn State faced defending national champ Stan- ford twice in September. "We play Stanford for a reason," Rose told GoPSUSports.com. "We play great competition in the Big Ten and you only have four weeks in the preseason to play other teams, so I always wanted to guarantee that I was playing one of the best programs and teams in the country. I thought Stanford always 7t that bill." If their most recent matches against the Cardinal can be said to serve as a measuring stick, the Nittany Lions came out looking awfully good. They won both, earning a 3-1 victory on opening night of the Texas A&M Tour- nament on Sept. 2 and rallying for a 3- 2 victory on Sept. 9 at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at Illinois. In the 7rst of those matches, the Nit- tany Lions surged to an early lead, tak- ing the 7rst two sets, 26-24 and 25-17. Stanford rallied to win the third set, 25- 18, but Penn State closed out the match with a 25-19 victory in the fourth. The Lions were led by dual-threat senior Abby Detering. Playing both right side and setter, she 7nished the evening with her 7rst career triple- double: 23 assists, 10 digs and a per- sonal-best 11 kills. In the rematch, Penn State dropped two of the 7rst three sets but won the fourth handily, 25-17, and pulled away for a 15-11 victory in the 78h. Senior Simone Lee started the match slowly, only tallying 11 kills through the 7rst three sets, but she came on strong, 7nishing with a match-high 21 to help Penn State to victory. Fellow outside hitter Ali Frantti 7nished the evening with a season-high 20 kills. As a team, the Lions tallied 20 blocks, the second-most in program history for a 25-point, 7ve-set match. Haleigh Washington was the key con- tributor to that number, as the middle blocker led the team with 10 blocks while adding 11 kills for the double- double. Given their current trajectories, it's possible that Penn State and Stanford haven't seen the last of each other this season. The two teams, which share the lead for most national titles with seven apiece, could be headed for a show- down in the NCAA tournament. ■

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