The Penn State women's volleyball team got some impressive performances from their role players at the Penn State Invitational this weekend.

Junior outside hitter Hillary Sexton performed well after a 2000 campaign in which she was riddled with injuries. Middle blockers Nadia Edwards and Cara Smith helped the Nittany Lions out-block their opponents 39.5-16 over the three-match weekend, and setter Shannon Bortner had 131 assists, including 67 in the five-game North Carolina match.

However, when the chips were down against North Carolina, and the Lions needed to step up to leave their own Invitational undefeated, they relied on their trusty All-Americans, Katie Schumacher and Mishka Levy.

The Lions' outside hitters led the attack against the Tar Heels with 24 and 18 kills, respectively, to help squeeze out the victory.

Schumacher's kill total left her one short of her career high. She also registered 16 digs in the match, and piled up 23 kills in the two three-game matches earlier in the weekend against Loyola (Md.) and Villanova.

Her efforts earned her recognition as the tournament's most outstanding player.

"They didn't have a good answer for Katie," Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose said. "She took a lot of big swings, and made a lot of great plays."

Levy played sparingly for most of the tournament, and didn't get in the first game of the final match, but she came through in the clutch in the last four, registering 18 kills, including eight in the fourth game.

Rose kept Levy out for most of the first two matches and early on in the North Carolina match in order to get his other promising outside hitters, including freshman Ashley Pederson, playing time. He was also somewhat displeased with the condition Levy has been in this season, but he knew he could count on Levy to carry the Lions offensively when needed.

"I never doubted that we could depend on her," Rose said. "She was a middle blocker on a national championship team. She just needs to get in a little better shape. Conditioning is not something that happens overnight."

Levy created several rallies on her own against the Tar Heels, scoring five points of a 6-3 run in the third game, and five of the Lions last six points in a losing effort in the fourth game.

Schumacher was dominant in the first game against the Tar Heels, leading the Lions with nine kills. She also provided clutch scoring down the stretch with two kills and an important service ace in the fifth and deciding game. In the Lions first three games with the rally scoring format, Schumacher and Levy realized that they will have to continue to play the way they had this weekend, and the way they always have to succeed.

"We just have to continue to take big swings," Schumacher said. "We need to end plays as quick as we can."