Women's volleyball to hold regionals at PSU
Penn State University and Rec Hall have been chosen as one of four host sites for the 2007 NCAA Women's Volleyball Regional Championship to be held Dec. 7-8, the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee announced. Penn State joins the UW Field House and the University of Wisconsin, Maples Pavilion and Stanford University, and the Stephen S. O'Connell Center and the University of Florida as the four pre-determined sites.
Penn State is one of only three teams to participate in all 26 NCAA Tournaments since its inception in 1981, joining Stanford and UC Santa Barbara. The Nittany Lions hold a 48-25 all-time NCAA Tournament record, including five trips to the NCAA Semifinals and one National Championship (1999). The four-time defending Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions finished the 2006 slate with an overall record of 32-3 and return all but one starter to their lineup.
"As always, we appreciate the opportunity the University has given us by hosting this event," said head coach Russ Rose, who has compiled an overall record of 891-157 in his 28 seasons at Penn State. "As a team, we hope to have the type of season that allows us to generate increased fan interest should we advance that far in the tournament. Penn State has always supported volleyball in a great way and this is another indication that shows that history."
The 2007 NCAA Championship will be held in Sacramento, Calif., at ARCO Arena on Dec. 13 and 15. The 2008 NCAA Championship will be held in Omaha, Neb., at the Qwest Center on Dec. 18 and 20. The 2009 NCAA Championship will be held in Tampa Bay, Fla., at the St. Pete Times Forum on Dec. 17 and 19.
194 student-athletes named to Dean's List
During the most recent semester, 194 Nittany Lion student-athletes earned a 3.50 grade point average or higher to gain Dean's List recognition. The total represents a record-tying 27 percent of the 717 young men and women who were members of Penn State's 29 varsity sports. The 194 total is second only to the 199 Dean's List students (also 27 percent) during the 2005 fall semester. Dean's List students must complete a minimum of 12 credits in a semester.
A total of 433 student-athletes earned a GPA of 3.0 or above last semester, the third-highest total, just nine off the record of 442 from the 2003 fall semester and two below the 2005 fall term total of 435. The 433 total represents a record-tying 60 percent of active student-athletes, equaling the mark set in the fall of 2003 and '04.
Penn State's 29 varsity teams had an average GPA of 3.08, with 21 squads earning a team semester GPA of 3.0 or higher, according to Russ Mushinsky, Director of the Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes.
