Just like a nice pair of sweatpants or a big fluffy couch, the members of the Penn State women's volleyball team have tried to keep everything comfortable for their four freshmen teammates.

For the new Nittany Lions, the transition to college life has been complicated by the grind of athletics on this level -- trips to Louisiana and Texas, marathon practices and the daily struggle to earn and maintain a starting role.

And though they have a lot on their plates, they've been helped by the elder statesmen on the team, who have made a concerted effort to smooth everything out as best they can.

"We all as a team, its not just an upperclassmen thing, we all as a team gotta work together to make them feel comfortable," senior defensive specialist Kris Brown said, "and make them feel at home here 'cause everybody knows coming in as a freshman is difficult."

So far, it seems that the transition has gone well. With one week in the books, none of the girls has failed out, nor have they really failed on the volleyball court.

In fact, Megan Hodge, the jewel of the freshmen class, has excelled.

Hodge, the nation's top recruit out of Durham, N.C., last year, currently ranks second on the team in kills per game (3.79) and ranks second on the team in digs (68). She's played in only three tournaments and has already been named to three All-Tournament teams. Hodge had a career-high 27 kills on .322 hitting against the high-powered No. 7 Texas Longhorns during this weekend's trip to the Texas Invitational in Austin.

"Megan was the National Player of the Year, so how low do you set the bar because it doesn't make any sense," Penn State coach Russ Rose said. "She was one of the top players in her age group. These girls are two or three years older -- she's in the realm of playing the game."

On top of the regular bumps that come with being a new face on campus, setter Alisha Glass has had to deal with a position change. Since joining the Lions, Glass has seen significantly more time at the setter position than she's used to.

Adding more to that, she's expected to replace three-time All-American Sam Tortorello. A stiff task, but thus far Glass pleased teammates and coaches, and against Texas she too notched a career-high, with 63 assists.

"I think it's been very good, they've done well so far," Brown said. "They've definitely learned as players. But it's even more difficult to come in with and have a lot of weight on their shoulders. So I think they've done really well and handled themselves really well."

Though senior opposite Cassy Salyer said that none of the freshmen on

this team need to have "their hand held" because each is making strides as collegiate athletes, she also said that a cohesive team helped ease things as well.

"I mean, I remember my freshman year," she said, "and I think that it is very important for the freshman class to have upperclassmen that they can talk to and sort of feel like they're teammates and not just underclassmen on a team with a bunch of older girls."

Brown said that there isn't one particular area that the older team members help the girls at, but rather they help in all facets of life.

"We're always together all the time," she said, "so it's not necessarily one specific thing." Though she said that girls will help each other out when it comes to course work, particularly if they are in the same major.

"I think it's just more mentoring with them," Brown said, "and helping them out to get them through each day and the mental struggles that come with being a freshman."