Things were beginning to come undone for the Penn State women's volleyball team.

After sweeping Rutgers and Quinnipiac in their first two games of the Penn State Invitational, the Nittany Lions ran into a sterner test in the tournament's finale in the form of Akron.

The Lions won the first two tough games but dropped the third and were presently down 10-3 in the fourth. Momentum and poise had abandoned Penn State, and for a team that was trying to regain the championship form that had been lost last year, the pressure, even in August, was palpable.

Enter freshman Sam Tortorello.

Replacing Jessica Hayden at setter, the position the entire offensive attack flows around, Tortorello took control of the game and guided the Lions from seven down to a 30-27 victory that improved Penn State to 3-0 on the young season.

From the outside, it might have seemed pretty unusual for a freshman, in her third collegiate game, to come in and completely change the momentum. But it wouldn't be strange if you knew Tortorello and knew how volleyball is in her veins.

Tortorello's father, Thomas, remembers the day he thought his youngest daughter might be something special athletically.

Sam was four and Tom was watching her play with some neighborhood kids outside their Joliet, Ill., home. It was something so inconspicuous that most people would have seen the kids and not given it a second thought. But Tom noticed how his daughter had more spring in her leap and jumped farther than any of the other kids.

"You wouldn't believe if I told you, but right there I knew Sam was special," Tom said. "You could just tell."

If you're going to believe anyone when it comes to predicting future athletic success, believe Tom Tortorello. Of the six Tortorello kids, three, including Sam, have played Div.-I volleyball in college.

It could be said that Sam Tortorello was born to be a volleyball player.

"Sam was a gym rat," said Tom. "She grew up watching her sisters play and fell in love with the game. I knew that when she continued to grow, she was going to be pretty good. She just put it all together."

Sam put her outstanding game together with the legendary club, Sports Performance, in suburban Chicago.

While Sam still played for her high school, Joliet Catholic, her supreme ability was saved for club action.

"The high school season only runs from August to October while the club season is December to July," Tom said. "The high school games are really more just social events."

But while Sam was at Sports Performance, it was all business.

Playing on one of the nation's premier clubs can be tough work sometimes. Travel, practice and tough competition are all part of the grind. Sam herself had to travel an hour each way to practice, which lasted up to five hours a day, five days a week. It can wear people out and turn them off to the sport. But not Sam. Sam flourished.

"My club team developed me into the player I am today," Sam said. "The program there is so strong and they push you to do your best. It's a great place."

Sports Performance taught Sam toughness and dedication. It also taught her to be at ease under pressure. Forged by playing in some of the tensest situations club volleyball can muster, Sam developed a calm aggression that lets her shine when the pressure is on.

"Sam never let pressure get to her," Sports Performance head coach Rick Butler said. "Some kids remain calm, but don't play well. Sam stayed calm but played even harder. She was something to watch."

That unique ability was on display yet again on the floor of Rec Hall last weekend when Akron finally succumbed to Penn State.

"I'm going to do whatever I can for the program, whatever coach asks of me," Sam said.

Whether or not the Penn State program was guaranteed Sam's talent is up for debate. What is for certain though, is when it came down to decision time, there was no doubt in Sam's mind.

"I got my first letter from Penn State during January of my junior year," Sam said. "I was really excited. I had followed the Big Ten for a while and Penn State were kings of the conference."

Despite her reverence for the Lions' program, there were some reservations. Both Sam and her parents were reluctant to let her go far from home, so they looked into Wisconsin, Purdue and Notre Dame among others.

Complicating things was the fact that there were few players in America more sought-after. Sam won an unbelievable amount of individual hardware. And she only seemed to get stronger.

"Sometimes kids have a strong junior year and then fade out," Butler said. "But Sam was the opposite. She hit the weights and really turned things up during her senior year."

When the Tortorellos made an unofficial visit to State College in April of 2000, and Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose offered a full scholarship, Sam, and her parents, couldn't resist.

"We really liked coach Rose," Tom said. "He's quite a character. He's also very honest and that's what you have to be."

She could've gone anywhere in the United States, but Sam Tortorello chose Penn State.

And both parties couldn't be happier.

"Sam has a great touch on the ball and is a feisty competitor," Rose said. "She has all the tools. She sees the game incredibly well. We are all looking forward to her contributions."

It's a safe bet that, after Saturday, we won't have to look too far.