In the aftermath of the Penn State women's volleyball team's second consecutive early exit from the NCAA Tournament -- this time to the hands of Temple in the second round Saturday night -- the optimist can find it rather easy to put a positive spin on the situation.

The Nittany Lions (26-8, 14-6 Big Ten) were strong enough to remain in the top 20 of the AVCA rankings all season long and finished in second place in perhaps the most difficult conference in the country.

But here comes the real good news: They lose only one significant contributor, albeit a major one in All-American Mishka Levy.

All things considered, a team that started two freshmen and two sophomores and achieved as much as it did in the regular season with just about everyone returning should be in for a bright future.

But is the picture really all that rosy? A pessimist could counter that the program is in a downward spiral that might not right itself as quickly as would be believed.

For starters, characterizing the Lions as a 25-8 team that only loses one player is a bit inaccurate. Two players left the team late in the season, senior libero Hillary Sexton and freshman outside hitter Amy Morris. The loss of Sexton stung the most, as she abruptly left the team after the Nov. 9 match against Illinois. Both she and Rose have been mum about the exact reasons for her departure, as is the case with Morris.

When Sexton left, freshman Kaleena Walters stepped into the starting lineup at libero and performed well.

But the domino effect created on the substitution rotation in the back row caused problems. Penn State lost four of its first eight after Sexton was out of the lineup, but getting Walters the extra big-game experience should pay dividends in 2003.

The loss of Morris could be offset by the return of redshirted transfer Jennifer Amobi. The 6-foot sophomore likes to hit, and she can hit hard. Rose lamented the lack of physicality of the Lions all year long, and losing Levy -- the only truly feared hitter on the team -- will make it that much more of a weakness. But Amobi is big and strong enough to fill that gap.

Still, even if the losses of Morris and Sexton are easily rectified, there is still a question that begs to be asked. Why are quality players leaving this program before their time? It's no secret Rose can be hard to play for at times, but he does have a strong relationship with many of his players. Morris did not seem to fit the Russ Rose way.

One player who does fit that mold is Cara Smith. The junior middle hitter led the nation for much of the year in hitting percentage, finishing in second place at .423. The all-Big Ten performer was a co-captain this year and should be the undisputed team leader in 2003.

On a team that appeared to lack confidence at many times when it faced adversity, Smith was the rock and will be the most consistently dependable force -- both on and off the court -- next season.

Another area that would look as if is set in stone is the setter position, where freshman Sam Tortorello took the reigns from junior Jess Hayden during the third match of the season. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year's spot in the starting lineup has been cemented ever since.

Two other young starters return next year at the outside hitter positions. Sophomores Syndie Nadeau and Ashley Pederson took over early in the season and were solid, if not spectacular, finishing third and fourth on the team in kills.

Both are quality outside hitters -- if they are not your first option. Neither is considered a hard enough hitter to cause trepidation in the hearts of other teams' blockers, but the two form a more-than-adequate, cerebral outside. And if Amobi (or someone else) can emerge as a physical presence, Nadeau and Pederson can be excellent role players on a championship-caliber team.

Next year, the only player left on Penn State's roster that will have been part of a NCAA championship caliber team is middle hitter Robyn Guokas, a true freshman on the 1999 title-winning Lions.

After missing the entire 2001 season due to illness, she returned in 2002 and led the Lions in blocks, but her play slipped down the stretch. Guokas hit only .074 her last eight matches and her blocking production decreased as the season went on as well.

Erin Iceman started in her place twice, and the hard-working, versatile junior -- who returned admirably from a torn MCL suffered on the last day of spring practice -- might see action in the middle next year. But, at 6-foot-2, she also showed this season she can be a valuable back row player.

The Lions' most valuable back row substitute was Tabitha Eshleman. The sophomore had 117 digs and Rose likes her scrappiness.

Hayden, an accomplished server, and sophomore Emily Gerega solidified the back row rotation. Freshman Kim Holm and Emily Guman have yet to see game action.

Also yet to be seen is how this team -- and the program in general -- responds to its second consecutive disappointing NCAA appearance. Confidence was an issue all season long, and the Lions repeatedly wilted under the pressure of close matches, matches with good teams and matches where they fell behind early.

Rose has called out his squad on its lack of swagger and feistiness, and he challenged the players to put in a hard offseason of work.

Whether or not the Lions respond to this challenge will go a long way towards telling if the metaphorical glass is indeed half-empty or half-full when looking ahead to 2003.