If picking the Penn State women's volleyball team to win the Big Ten is wrong, I don't want to be right.
Since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1992, every class of freshmen recruited by head coach Russ Rose has left with a conference title by the time their senior year was complete.

Theoretically, that means every Penn State player for the past 13 years has experienced at least one championship season (besides those who had shortened Penn State careers for whatever reason).

Few other coaches than Rose can casually talk about the location of conference trophies and plaques around his or her office. History is on the Nittany Lions side.

This season the team adds four new players, all of whom were Players of the Year from their respective home states. Outside hitter Megan Hodge (North Carolina) has already led the team in kills several times. Setter Alisha Glass (Michigan) was named National Collegiate Player of the Week nine days ago.

With the amount of talent on the team, setter Jessica Yanz (Illinois) and middle hitter Blair Brown (Virginia), two other freshman, haven't been able to find time on the court. It's not their fault.

The Lions are simply overflowing with talent.

Returning are three All-Big Ten selections: outside hitter Nicole Fawcett, and middle hitters Christa Harmotto and Melissa Walbridge. Fawcett, a sophomore, is arguably one of the nation's top overall players. Walbridge, a junior, is a blocking machine, and Harmotto has already been named co-captain as a sophomore.

The Lions are young, and that's the only source of doubt.

Gone are setter Sam Tortorello and libero Kaleena Walters, ideally the first two players to touch the ball on a given possession. Collectively, those two players did not miss a match in the past three seasons. They were big reasons for Penn State's success and replacing them was top priority for Rose this offseason.

But remember since 1992, plenty of players have come and gone, and still Penn State has captured nine of the 13 conference titles available. Don't forget Tortorello and Walters were once freshmen, too. It was 2003, and guess who won the Big Ten that year?

"This team has established a reputation and a tradition," senior co-captain Cassy Salyer said. "Winning the Big Ten is always at the forefront of expectations."

Don't be surprised if the Lions exhibit some growing pains while trying to reach those expectations. An uncharacteristic loss or two early in the season isn't out of the question.

But don't be surprised when the talent jells completely by midseason, and Rec Hall starts to feel like home to the freshmen.

"You have a different team every year, a different chemistry," said senior Kris Brown, a member of the past three conference championship teams. "I'm not going to say we're going to the win the Big Ten. But that's our first goal right now."