Complementing a double-headed left-side attack, standing 6-foot-5 and taking powerful swings from the right, Cassy Salyer was a nice piece of the Penn State women's volleyball team.

But after suffering a broken right hand, her role has been momentarily relegated to the sidelines. The senior co-captain, keeping with her designated title as a leader, is using the third-person experience to help, rather than hamper the team.

"It's hard to sort of lead from the sidelines, especially when the girls on the court are struggling," Salyer said.

"But I guess the key to that is being loud and supportive. Being sort of on the court -- or at least my voice being on the court -- if I can't be."

Salyer, who was said by players and coaches to be a consummate vocal leader on the court, hasn't been able to lead by example watching from the bench. But she has developed a deeper perspective for the game.

Now, she sees when and where the team is struggling in practice and in matches. Now, she can tell when the team needs to step up. She finally notices what Penn State head coach Russ Rose is watching when he talks to the team.

In the past, though, gaining that insight would've been slightly more difficult as she's found herself in the thick of the action for the past three seasons.

Last year she pounded 2.59 kills per game at a .338 clip. In 2004, she overcame stress fractures in her lower legs to pound a career-best season output offensively (2.83 kills per game). Before that she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and AVCA Mideast Region Freshman of the Year (2.15 kills per game, 1.42 blocks per game).

Though the team would certainly like to have her back on the court, her absence from the lineup but heightened role as a player-coach has been beneficial to the team, Nicole Fawcett says.

"What may seem like we have a lot of energy, we may look absolutely dead on the court," the sophomore outside hitter says. "That, I think, gives us a different perspective."

Not only important for the current status of the team, but when Salyer makes her return, what she's picking up now will help her game, too.

"You can see things that could help or change," Salyer says. "Because when I can play again, I'm aware of things and I can bring them onto the court because I have seen it."

In particular, though, Rose noticed that she seems to have singled out the freshmen -- setter Alisha Glass and outside hitter Megan Hodge -- and is helping them along.

"The situation with her being hurt and not able to contribute in practice has resulted in her making a more concerted effort to try and talk with some of the players -- especially the younger players -- about some of the demands and expectations of the program and what you can anticipate," Rose said.

"You can't replicate in practice what you're going to see in a game. ... I think that she's trying to communicate to the players some of the important things about the needs that we'll have to get ready for [come match time]."

Salyer says that the team is "learning every day," and that some of her focus on the younger players has been about mental aspects of the game.

"And sometimes it's just about keeping everyone's head straight and being patient and trusting each other," she said. "Patience is probably the most important thing, especially as a freshman, because it's so easy to get frustrated and throw in the towel. Those are the times when you have keep pushing and that's when you'll get better."