There are plenty of reasons why the Penn State women's volleyball team should not have won the Big Ten championship.

Power outside hitter Mishka Levy graduated last spring, leaving the team without a dominant hitter.

The Nittany Lions are not as physical as many of the other Big Ten teams.

The team is young, relying on freshmen and sophomores to come through in all aspects of the game.

But the women did not let that bother them one bit because they knew that what they did have was the one element essential to success, an element that had evaded squads of past years: good team chemistry.

"I'm not sure we had some of the best talent," Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose said.

"But this was a team that liked each other and worked hard together and responded well to a lot of competitive situations."

The team chemistry has been evident from the onset of the season. It is in the way the girls celebrate every point they earn by joining hands in the middle of the court. It is in the way they gather together during water breaks in practice, chatting and teasing each other. It is in the way that even in a tense match or a grueling practice, they can find something to laugh about. And it is in the way that when they head home, they head home together, because many of the girls have found that teammates make the best roommates.

"We get along so well both on and off the court," junior defensive specialist Tabitha Eshleman said. "And we're confident in one another. Like we know that if someone does get blocked, that someone's there to cover."

And the team has found that to be the most important component of a successful season. It was with one unified team, working towards one unified goal, turning in one unified performance, that they were able to achieve their dream of a Big Ten championship. This title is the one that Rose is most proud of because it came wholly from the fibers of the team. A lack of this type of unity was a major issue for teams of recent years.

"In the past we have had players that were way too concerned about themselves and without that, we played at a higher level," Rose said.

"It was addition by subtraction, if you know what I mean. We were better without people who weren't committed to what we're doing."

Working as a team allowed the women to be an offensive threat by spreading their attacks among several hitters. It allowed the women to defend effectively by communicating in the back row. And because they like each other, the players were able to continue to work together even under bleak circumstances.

"We're able to pull together in tough situations and come out with a win," Eshleman said.

Tough situations, such as being on the road at Ohio State and dropping the first game, 30-17. Or being on the road at Minnesota, a team that totally dominated them at home. Or going to a fifth game at both Michigan and Michigan State on back to back nights. Each time, the women emerged with the win.

The Lions are a vivid example of how far team unity and faith can go and their clinching of the Big Ten title Friday night at Minnesota was simply the final proof.

Because when asked what it was that allowed his team to exceed others' expectations for its season, Rose did not hesitate.

"We played as a team."