I will work you dogg!

I - Will - Work - You!

These four words that C.T. (Real World Paris) will forever be remembered by are the only way that I can think to describe the feeling that came over me during Saturday's Penn State women's volleyball team's embarrassing loss to defending Big Ten champions, Minnesota.

Just as I was yelling at the television asking the Brit, "Why aren't you punching him back, or at least shielding yourself from the vicious blows that the Bostonian is throttling you with?" I found myself mentally yelling similar thoughts at the Nittany Lions this past weekend. "Why aren't you hitting the ball or at least shielding yourself from the vicious kills that the entire Golden Gopher team is throttling you with?"

So what we have here is a Penn State team who doesn't seem to show up for big games. They are no longer sitting alone atop the Big Ten, but instead jammed among three other teams, Minnesota and Illinois who both have already beat the Lions, and Wisconsin, who Penn State will play Friday night.

So where is the problem?

Well, first things first. Senior captain Cara Smith who, prior to this weekend's games, ranked fifth in the nation in hitting percentage hit -.077 with only four kills in the loss against Minnesota. For those of you who don't understand what those numbers mean it would be like Michael Jordan in Game 7 not scoring or even running the wrong way and scoring a few points for the opposing team. Yes, it's unheard of, but it's what happened in Rec Hall Saturday night.

Smith though wasn't getting much help, especially from senior Erin Iceman, who hit a paltry .094 and redshirt freshman Kim Holm who was also in the red, hitting -.067 on the night.

But the loss can't be put solely on the shoulders of the usual big hitters because they weren't the only players who were neutralized by the Golden Gophers ferocious block. Instead, the telling point may have come when Penn State head coach Russ Rose was asked if he was worried that his team doesn't show up for big games after losing last week to Illinois and then this week to Minnesota.

"We don't talk about that. We don't talk about Minnesota versus any other team. You play 20 matches in the Big Ten and they all have the same value."

I guess statistically that statement is truthful. But let's dissect it a bit. Playing the defending Big Ten champions with a one game lead on the rest of the field is the definition of a big game.

This game was bigger than the game the night before against lowly Iowa. This was the last time the seniors had a chance to play Minnesota in Rec Hall -- ever.

All anyone needed to do was watch Minnesota during the game. They knew that this was a big game. They were fired up from the first serve, whereas Penn State looked like those small monkey's on any late night talk show, gripping Jack Hanna, wide-eyed, scared for their lives.

Unless the Lions start understanding that there is a difference between playing St. Mary's School for the Blind and the defending Big Ten champions the team will continue to come up short in clutch situations and the Big Ten trophy will stay in Minneapolis for another season.