The Penn State women's volleyball team has spent much of the early part of the season searching for a starting outside hitter.

It might have finally found one in Syndie Nadaeu. The French-Canadian sophomore led the Nittany Lions in kills in two of the three Penn State victories over the weekend, totaling 36 overall en route to being named Most Valuable Player of the Penn State Classic.

"It is very satisfying," Nadeau said. "It's a great honor for me, especially because I wasn't playing two weeks ago and now this. It's really special."

Indeed, Nadeau only played in four of the 10 possible games in the Penn State Invitational. But now she has become a starter, hitting an impressive .462 while playing virtually every point of the Classic after entering the starting lineup last weekend at the Fairfield Invitational.

"I thought Syndie had a nice weekend," Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose said. "She came along both last weekend and this weekend."

Junior middle hitter Cara Smith, a team leader and one of the Lions with her name entrenched in the starting lineup, said the insertion of Nadeau into the rotation has had a positive effect on the team.

"I think she plays great," Smith said. "She can hit from the left side and the right side, so it's a position for us we need her to do, and she does a great job. She's got a tough serve, and her all-around skills are great.

"She's just a big asset for us."

Nadeau has, for now, replaced sophomore Ashley Pederson in the starting lineup. But don't think for a minute that is a definitive sign of things to come. Rose doesn't like to tip his hand when it comes to the starter in a rotation that also includes sophomore transfer Jennifer Amobi.

"What I've said all along about Syndie is that Syndie has a little more game knowledge than Ashley and Jen," Rose said. "Her ball-handling skills are a little better, she's not as strong at the net, but I think she's got better awareness of what's going on."

However, Rose is skeptical about Nadeau's ability to hit hard enough to be able to allow the team to excel against the higher level of competition in the Big Ten and next week against No. 6 Florida at the American Classic.

"I think there will be some matches where you need someone a little more physical and some matches where you want to keep the ball in play," Rose said. "We'll see how [Nadeau] handles the demands of a much more rigorous and physical environment in which you have to play [against the likes of Florida]."

But if Nadeau does relinquish her starting spot, it won't be without a fight.

"You know, I have been working a lot to be able to both start and play," Nadeau said. "Last weekend I got the chance to start, and this weekend, I didn't want to let it go. I felt like I had to prove something."

And now she has an MVP award to show for it.