When Megan Hodge jogged out to join her teammates during pre-match introductions for the first time at Rec Hall, the freshman needed instruction on what to do next.
Hodge's teammates on the Penn State women's volleyball team reminded her that she was supposed to slap hands with them after her name was announced.
Last year's National High School Player of the Year was admittedly nervous, not only before, but during Friday night's home-opening win against Eastern Kentucky.
Hodge was admittedly nervous during her first match, with her legs shaking the entire time she was out on the court, she said.
Hodge is the top recruit in a class of four freshmen volleyball players, all of whom were Players of the Year in their respective home states last year.
Alisha Glass, who along with Hodge started all three matches this weekend, was selected the best high school player in Michigan. Jessica Yanz was Illinois' top player and Blair Brown is a two-time Player of the Year from Virginia.
The expectations are high for what Penn State head coach Russ Rose called a "highly touted" class, especially Hodge, an outside hitter, and Glass, a setter, who already started three games at home before going to her first class at Penn State.
"We're nervous," Glass said. "We're the two freshmen out on the court all the time and we're just kind of adjusting to the game."
Those freshmen are not only adjusting to the college game but also to Rose's compliment-lacking coaching style that has resulted in 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the Lions.
They've already figured out Rose will look for them to improve different areas of their games, no matter how talented they are. Glass and Hodge said they have both accepted that Rose wants them to improve their defense and increase their energy on the floor. Hodge, the nation's top recruit, said it's that type of constructive instruction that led her to Penn State.
"I wanted a coach that wasn't going to praise me for everything. Going through high school everyone's like, 'Oh, you're so good.' Coach doesn't do that," Hodge said. "It's just refreshing to have a coach like that and know that he's going to push you to get better."
Glass is adjusting to her role as setter in the Penn State offense, a position that had been held by three-time All-American Sam Tortorello, who graduated last year. Also gone is libero Kaleena Walters, last season's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Rose said Tortorello and Walters made the change from high school to college easier for Nicole Fawcett and Christa Harmotto, two freshmen that saw immediate playing time last season. This year's freshmen won't have that same luxury, however.
This season, the starter at libero is still undecided. Glass, for now, is in the spot that Tortorello occupied.
Even with that, the Lions were picked by Big Ten coaches to win the conference for the fourth consecutive season, in part because of their incoming freshmen.
