Everybody remembers freshman year, right? You were either homesick, happy as a University Park squirrel or somewhere in between.

Whatever category you fell into, it took some time to get used to living on your own. Learning how to balance work with the temptations that come with being independent on a college campus was a challenge, but eventually, priorities were established.

A few months into her first year at Penn State, Megan Hodge is in the familiar freshman situation, except her temptations involve volleyball, and her maturation is on display for Big Ten crowds.

"Traveling, and having to still do homework and prepare for tests, it's tough," Hodge said, "but hopefully I'll figure something out."

While trying to figure it out, the ultra-talented Hodge, the top recruit in the country out of high school last year, has established herself as one of the best freshmen in the nation.

The outside hitter has cemented her name in the starting lineup of the No. 2-ranked team in the nation and led the Nittany Lions (19-0, 8-0 Big Ten) in several statistical categories multiple times.

Hodge leads Penn State in kills, and is second in digs and aces. She is also one of two freshmen from a major conference in the nation's top 30 in kills per game.

More importantly, the 6-foot-3 Hodge has been able to change the course of matches and turn momentum in Penn State's favor with one simple swing of her arm.

And she's doing it without feeling completely comfortable in her surroundings. With three-and-a-half years of volleyball ahead of her, there is no where to go but up.

"She's all she's cracked up to be," Minnesota head coach Mike Hebert said. "A very physical, mega-talented athlete -- and as soon as she matures and gains more consistency, I don't think there is anybody around that's going to be as good as she is."

The maturity and consistency are still brewing for Hodge, who for all her talents, got a late start playing competitive volleyball.

Despite both her parents being former members of the U.S. Virgin Islands National Team, Hodge had little desire to play the game in her youth, primarily because she was surrounded by it all the time, traveling to tournaments with her parents.

"When I was younger, I hated volleyball," she said.

It wasn't until her freshman year at Riverside High School in Durham, N.C., that Hodge started to take the sport seriously, and even then she only played in front of "a couple hundred people, at the max."

So it's no surprise Hodge said she was so nervous before and during her first match at Rec Hall that her legs were shaking the entire time. During a win at Texas in early September, Hodge said she felt like throwing up. Since then, the freshman has overcome some uneasiness but still isn't fully settled.

"It's still a little tough because you do want to perform well in front of the people that did pay to come see you play," Hodge said. "When you don't play well, it's kind of disappointing. I'm trying to adjust still and hopefully just keep getting better."

Her desire to improve was on display after a win two weeks ago against Minnesota. Hodge had a career-best 18 digs and led Penn State with 20 kills, numbers that many players would pray for.

"I'm definitely not happy with the way I played," Hodge said. "That one aspect of my game [digs], I guess was OK, but I need to have a complete package. I can't just be a digger one night, a hitter another night, a blocker another night. I need to be all-in-one, all the time."

That increasing maturity has opposing coaches and players worried, and is the reason Hodge will improve with time.

"I'm glad I'm a senior and have to only face her a couple of times," said Minnesota middle hitter Meredith Nelson, a 2005 All-Big Ten selection. "I don't think there's any telling where she can go or what can stop her."