The nickname "Big Girl" is rarely given to those undeserving of such a moniker.

For Cassy Salyer, the nickname applies not only to her 6-foot-5 frame but also to her big time play as of late, as the Penn State women's volleyball junior right side hitter has been on top of her game for much of the Big Ten season.

Salyer had the hot hand on Friday when the No. 3 Nittany Lions (21-2, 12-0 Big Ten) beat No. 11 Wisconsin in Rec Hall.

Her 17 kills on .467 hitting, coupled with her five blocks on the evening, drew praise from Penn State head coach Russ Rose, a man who praises his team like a judge praises convicted felons -- sparingly.

"The key for a good team is for somebody to step up when someone else is not playing so well," Rose said. "I'm pleased with the fact that Cassy played so well early and then throughout the match. I'm just disappointed my senior setter couldn't get her the ball as much when it was obvious she was playing well."

That senior setter is All-American Sam Tortorello, who set Salyer 30 times in the four-game match against the Badgers, accounting for less than 17 percent of Penn State's total attacks. The 30 attempts for Salyer were just three shy of her season high, though, as the opposite seemed content with the number of sets coming her way.

Indeed, Salyer looked gassed during a timeout at 20-16 in the third game on Friday. The Badgers called the timeout after Salyer had ended two of the previous four points with emphatic kills. The former Big Ten Freshman of the Year propped herself up on the back of a teammate while in the huddle, and did not account for any more kills or blocks for the remainder of that game.

"I think I got the ball a lot tonight," Salyer said after the Wisconsin match. "If you're on a roll, you obviously want the ball every time, especially if you're in the mentality you're gonna score every time."

Recounting an instance in which her height proved decisive in a net battle with a shorter Wisconsin counterpart, Salyer gave way to the praise of 5-foot-6 teammate Kris Brown.

"That's my Big Girl," Brown joked.

Rose was in a slightly less jocular mood, saying that both teams had tall players, and that Salyer's hard play and quality swings accounted for her success.

Brown's Big Girl turned in another quality performance on Saturday in a sweep over Northwestern, tallying 10 kills on 17 attempts, leaving her at a .468 clip for the weekend and a Big Ten-leading .410 for the conference season.

Though she may not get the credit and attention the star freshmen and seniors receive, Salyer has been quietly racking up confidence and statistics.

Putting up good numbers -- or doing much of anything -- almost under the radar is not an easy task for a player nicknamed Big Girl. Salyer, however, has managed to play her role effectively, not demanding the sets and opportunities, but welcoming them whenever Tortorello directs the ball her way.

"A lot of having a good night is about getting into a rhythm with Sam," Salyer said. "She knows where to go and when to go there."