"She plays hard and is committed to the welfare of the team," he said. "I think what Amanda brings to the court for us is probably the best volleyball IQ and her leadership," he said. And in most cases just the way she's calm under pressure."
She has quietly put up solid numbers for the Lions, leading them to 11 straight victories.
As the Big Ten season approaches, Rome's role as one of the team's leaders will only grow larger. Rose has a young and inexperienced team, with only one senior and a load of freshmen and sophomores.
Fortunately for the Lions, Rome has plenty of experience to draw upon from her career.
She grew up knowing success, as her older sister Emily was a volleyball player at Delaware. The two had a close relationship and Amanda soon began to look up to Emily.
"My whole family is very close," Rome said. "Definitely, she was always a role model to me.
"Everything she ever did, I wanted to do. If she walked to school, I wanted to walk to school. If she played volleyball, I wanted to play volleyball."
It soon came time for Amanda to show her own talents. As a standout player at Chaska High School, she started at every position on the volleyball court. She led her team to three state titles, which earned her a spot on Vollyball Magazine's 1998 "Fab 50" team.
Amanda eventually chose Penn State as her college choice, and she was able to live up to those expectations that followed her from Minnesota.
Her skills quickly propelled her into the lineup, making Rome the only first-year player to see action all season.
Although she didn't see much time, it was an impressive accomplishment due to the amount of talent the Lions had on the squad.
In that first season, things did not appear to be too difficult. Penn State compiled a 35-1 record, 20-0 in the Big Ten.
They cruised into the NCAA tournament final game for the second time in as many years. But things got more complicated and Rome watched as her teammates fell short of their ultimate goal — the national championship. The Lions lost to Long Beach State 3-2 in a hard fought match.
"It was painful," Rome said. "I just saw how (my teammates) felt and how they reacted. So, I just never wanted to feel like that. It was tough to see all the people you look up to so upset."
About 360 days later, the Lions were in a similar situation. Rome found herself back in the title game against Stanford, and she was able to play a much more important role. The outside hitter and her teammates did not let it get away from them this time, however. Penn State showed their improvement by disposing of the Cardinal 3-0.
On the season, Rome started every match, leading the team in digs with 396. But statistics didn't matter nearly as much as the feeling of being No. 1 at last.
"It was incredible," Rome said. "All of your dreams are gratified in an instant. When that instant gratification happens, it's just craziness. It's just unbelievable."
Rome would once again like to visit the winner's circle in the championship game, but it's a long road ahead. If she can continue to adapt to what her team needs, there is the potential, with the talent the Lions have, for the unselfishness to pay off once again.
