For some, getting to college means having good grades. For others, it's good college board scores or sometimes just plain luck. But for Carlos Ortiz, good hands were his ticket to higher education.

Ortiz, the redshirt freshman setter for the men's volleyball team, brings physical skill as well as mental alertness to the Nittany Lions, said Assistant Coach Dennis Janzen, who works closely with Ortiz in practice.

"Physically he brings both good size and a nice set of hands," Janzen said. "Carlos has the ability to turn a bad pass into a very hittable set."

The 6-foot-3, 177-pound Ortiz made the transition from high school in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Penn State two years ago. He said attending school in the states is something his parents thought was best for him.

"I miss them but I know this is the way it has to be," Ortiz said. "A lot of my friends come to schools in the states and they have helped me understand the atmosphere."

Before joining the team last season, Ortiz played on the Puerto Rican Junior National Team with Penn State middle blocker Ramon Hernandez. Hernandez said Ortiz's contribution to the Lions is immeasurable.

"He's really really important to the team -- if you have a great setter you'll have a great team," Hernandez said.

Ortiz takes the place of All-American setter Jim Schall, who acted as Ortiz's mentor last year. Both Ortiz and the coaches agree that redshirting last year allowed Ortiz to mature and improve on his understanding of the game.

"I learned more about the volleyball system and gained more experience and confidence with the players," Ortiz said.

So far the 19-year-old setter functions as an integral part of the Lions' system of attack.

"He is the quarterback," Janzen said. "He is a freshman directing seniors and that can be difficult."

Janzen said Ortiz showed exceptional leadership in the match last Saturday against Rutgers-Newark. The team won the match 15-13, 15-14, 16-14.

But Ortiz is the first to admit there's always room for improvement.

As a setter, Ortiz does not have as many opportunities to operate on defense as the other players do. He said it's difficult to dig a spiked ball and think about setting up the next hit at the same time.

Janzen said this is not an uncommon problem among freshmen players.

"Sometimes a setter has a real dilemma between digging a ball and risking the chance of being there late," he said.