A team is nothing more than a collection of personalities. When the personalities come together, they form a singular body dependent upon each of the unique people that comprise it. Without one of the characters, the team's entire makeup changes and, maybe, is even weakened.

On Saturday, the five seniors on the Penn State men's volleyball team played their last regular-season match at Rec Hall. And at the end of this season, when Penn State loses those five players to graduation, not only will the team's makeup change, it will be weakened.

Matt Proper, Nate Meerstein, Dan O'Dell, Kevin Wentzel and Andrew Price will not be returning to play for the Penn State next winter. They will never again put on a blue-and-white jersey, never again call Rec Hall home, never again take those fun road trips with the guys that grew to become their brothers.

While the graduating seniors will likely miss a lot of aspects of their collegiate life as volleyball players in the East Coast's most dominant program, the East Coast's most dominant program might miss them even more. They are the team's heart and soul, but not just because their names are etched all over the school's record book, but for their unique personalities.

Proper, an outside hitter, came to Penn State four year ago, a quiet, religious kid. Sought after by many of the nation's top volleyball programs, such as Pepperdine, in Malibu, Calif., the Guys Mills native decided to stay close to home. He moved on campus and was met by his new West Halls roommate, O'Dell.

The two didn't really click at first, but have since helped bring out different aspects of each other's nature. Four years later, they're still roommates at their off-campus apartment, except now they're best friends.

Now Proper is idiosyncratic, yet funny, always looking to rib his teammates whenever given the chance. He often keeps a running competition with teammates to see who can serve more aces in practice. The loser owes money to a jar in his apartment. It would be rare that he should lose, though, as he ranks in the top five in aces in Penn State history and is one of the best hitters to ever play for the Nittany Lions.

O'Dell is a family man who idolizes his 10-year-old brother, Steve. Steve is around his brother and his teammates a lot, buzzing around the court before and after matches. On Saturday during pregame warm-ups, Steve was wearing O'Dell's No. 2 jersey and passing balls with some of the training staff on the court.

O'Dell is quick-witted and will snap a joke or make a goofy comment before you've had a chance to introduce yourself.

"Danny is the one with the personality," Pavlik said. "He can do some oddball things at times."

Meerstein might be most easily likened to your best drinkin' buddy. He's a funny, laid-back guy and is easy to talk to about anything. Meerstein's also a big fan of lounging on his couch watching movies or Wheel of Fortune.

Despite his passion for relaxing, Meerstein is not lazy. It's obvious in watching just one volleyball practice that he's a hard worker and he's had success on the court once game day rolled around. Meerstein is currently fourth in total blocks (425) on Penn State's all-time list and going into this season was second in hitting percentage (.509).

Wentzel and Price complement the other goofballs nicely. Both are quiet and focused.

After a first-team All-EIVA season in his sophomore year, in which he finished third on the team in kills per game (3.12), Wentzel was forced to miss 11 matches during his junior year due to a concussion.

And on top of a shortened junior season, things didn't look too bright for Wentzel at the beginning of this year. He wasn't in the starting lineup and was behind an outside hitter who was launching seemingly every ball he could touch for a kill. Setbacks didn't stop him -- he's the epitome of a hard worker.

"There are two things you can control: your attitude and your effort," he said once, recalling a phrase his father repeated to him as a kid.

Wentzel eventually stepped into a starting role thanks to weeks of solid effort in the training gym and made his presence felt immediately. The senior outside hitter helped the Lions to a 10-match win streak and had stellar performances against then-No. 3 Long Beach State and George Mason.

Price, though not a starter, has come in off of the bench at times this season to make an impact, too. Like Wentzel, he's kept his nose to the grindstone and has turned out some positive performances this season.

Fittingly, Price rode off on a high note after being inserted into the lineup for the final game of Saturday's match, recording six kills at a career-high .625 clip. An electrical engineering major, Price is, hands down, the smartest player on the team, O'Dell once said.

The five make up a truly unique group. Next year they'll go off and lead different lives in different places, and they'll leave the Penn State men's volleyball program lacking the core of its personality.