The Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball team will graduate four seniors from its 2003 season.

Emily Gerega, Jessica Hayden, Erin Iceman and Cara Smith played their last regular season match at home against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night and were recognized for their dedication to the team on senior night.

With a combined record of 103-26 (59-19 Big Ten), the Lions seniors will leave behind records as well as a young team poised to improve upon an already thriving Penn State team.

Defensive specialist Gerega, a 2003 team tri-captain, will graduate with at least 25 career digs, and setter Hayden will leave the team with more than 1,500 assists.

Opposite Iceman currently leads the team with 32 aces for the season and was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 6 for her play against Indiana.

Middle hitter Smith currently sits atop the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .419. She played with the 2002 AVCA Second Team All-America program, and is one of only four players in Penn State history to have more than 1,000 kills and 500 career blocks.

Expecting a "teary-eyed and emotional" senior night, women's volleyball coach Russ Rose was impressed with the composure that his seniors played with against a Big Ten championship contender like Wisconsin. Smith said she and the other seniors tried to focus on the match and not on the fact that it would be their last regular season appearance at the Rec Hall.

"For the most part, we didn't really concentrate on it being senior night," she said.

"I think that helped us. First of all, we weren't very emotional about that, and hopefully we'll host the first and second rounds so it won't be the last time that we play here."

While reflecting on the play of the team against the Badgers, Rose said the match was a good showcase of this year's senior class.

"It was a nice senior moment for those individuals who had a chance to celebrate a little bit of their senior season," he said.

Looking ahead to probable NCAA Tournament first round play, Rose implemented the opportunities open for a team that has seen an absence from the final rounds in recent years. He highlighted this season as a great chance for the senior class to lead the team and to bring a championship title to Penn State.

"The senior class has an opportunity to win a conference championship heading into the last weekend of the year," Rose said. "It would be an indication that they've played well and that they've had the support of their teammates and that they're improving."

With a big match ahead against Minnesota for Penn State, Smith looked at the play of the team against Wisconsin as a way to gain some preparation. Putting the emotions that are associated with senior night aside, she noted focus was the key to the team's ability to win.

"I think we've just been really focused on winning the Big Ten, not so much on it being the last of things," she said. "It's just we didn't want to be crying when we go out to compete. It's kind of like, when the season's over, that's when I think we'll be able to show emotion and that's when it will be done. And we hopefully have a month left."

Iceman, who has risen this season to be a leader on the court, said the magnitude and the emotions of her senior season won't hit her until the actual final game.

"Then it will really hit you that it was the last time," she said.