After a nice weekend away,
those searching for answers to questions surrounding the Penn State women's volleyball team are still left scratching their heads.

Yes, this weekend the No. 2 Nittany Lions finally squared off against ranked opponents. And yes, the Nittany Lions were impressive in each, winning the second match in comeback fashion. But did we really learn anything?

Not really.

All that could be gleaned from this weekend's activity is that these young Lions are striking their gait at this moment. This moment, though, is a far way from the finish line.

For better or worse, this is not the same Penn State team that will emerge at the end of the season. The fabric of this team is changing with each serve.

Just a few weeks ago, a two-setter system was in place. Also, two different people were fighting for the libero spot. Now, a completely different face has entered the fray and taken the job.

When this weekend popped up, though, all of the sudden the team looked completely different. Instead of stumbling by against Eastern Kentucky last weekend, Penn State was able to beat Missouri and came back from a 0-2 deficit against No. 7 Texas in the Longhorns' gym.

And it was thanks to some of the younger players on the court that the Lions pulled through. Given the wealth of raw talent on the court, Penn State might reap the benefits of great recruiting classes these past few years as this season continues.

Sophomores Nicole Fawcett, 2005 National Freshman of the Year, and Christa Harmotto, 2005 First-Team All-Big Ten, have been stars since they day they've arrived in State College. Megan Hodge, a freshman outside hitter, has only been through a week's worth of classes but has already been named to two All-Tournament teams, once at the Penn State Invitational, once at the Texas Invitational.

Can the relatively inexperienced bunch continue on this level?

Clearly, the potential is there, but with only two seniors, doubts regarding durability and mental toughness easily creep up.

As the season wears on, the pressures of the collegiate game might settle in. Maybe those highly touted newcomers will hit the proverbial freshman wall.

Freshman setter Alisha Glass had a breakout weekend with a career-high 63 assists against Texas and was honored with a spot on the Texas Invitational All-Tournament team.

But Glass is inexperienced as a setter and Penn State head coach Russ Rose has admitted in the past that he might need to rotate her with fellow freshman Jessica Yanz, depending on the performance of each player.

Hodge has developed into a go-to player -- her transition seeming effortless -- but when faced with some top teams and some stiff blocking come playoff time, who knows if she'll react the same way.

Harmotto, a primetime player through the regular season last year, was injured before entering the NCAA tournament. We'll have to wait and see if she can maintain her level of play with a national title on the line.

Take it from Rose, a man with 28 years of coaching experience, with a broad look at the season, a solid weekend this early doesn't mean too much.

"The regular season is about getting better," Rose said, "and late in the season is about trying to compete for a national championship, if you're fortunate to be in that case."

So really, this weekend is a just notch in Penn State's belt, a nice jumping off point as the team readies to enter Big Ten play. But don't read into things -- there aren't any bigger implications that come from the weekend's effort.