38-0 and 114-2.

Sometimes, numbers say enough.

This season, the Penn State women's volleyball team went undefeated and lost only two sets as it put together a historical season.

Because of this, it's time to declare the two-time defending champion as the best team in NCAA women's volleyball history -- at least so far.

After Nicole Fawcett's kill off the Stanford block counted as the final point, it finally came time to see where this team ranks all-time.

First, the statistics.

Penn State's .390 hitting was .055 higher than Texas. And while it's hard to compare the rest of the numbers through history because of the shorter sets, the Lions were first nationally in blocks per set (3.22), hitting, and second in assists per set (14.03) and kills per set (14.95) this season.

They broke the NCAA records for consecutive sets won with 111 and matches won when they beat Illinois on Nov. 14. Of course, the streak of 64 straight is still continuing.

The Lions also dominated the awards. A record six players were named to the All-America teams, with four named to the first team. Fawcett was named the 2008 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I Women's Volleyball National Player of the Year and Russ Rose was named the AVCA Coach of the Year.

Fawcett's initial reaction to winning the honor was marked by her saying, "Holy ----," a reaction which also may be the correct assessment of the Lions' run in 2008.

From August 29 to the third set against Nebraska on December 18, Penn State won every set. It is the only team in history to win every set in the regular season, and the only two it lost were in Omaha against No. 3 Nebraska in front of an NCAA-record crowd of 17,430 screaming, red-clad fans.

Through the season, Penn State knocked off five top-10 teams: No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 California, No. 7 Hawaii and No. 8 UCLA. In all, the Lions beat 10 ranked teams: No. 11 Illinois, No. 14 Minnesota, No. 15 Purdue, No. 17 Michigan and No. 21 St. Louis made up the other five.

To make this all the more impressive, Penn State had to accomplish all this as the hunted.

As the defending national champion and five-time defending Big Ten champion, the players admitted before the season that they are used to getting the other teams' best because of the words "Penn State" on the back of the jerseys. Megan Hodge, who was again named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, said before the conference slate that the target for her squad just gets bigger every year.

With a conference record of 78-2 the last four years, how couldn't it?

For the Lions, there are two instances which may best show the dominance of this team.

In the regional final against No. 6 California, the Lions fell behind 7-1 and 19-13 in the first set. In rally scoring and under the new rule of playing a set to 25, a team isn't supposed to comeback.

Penn State coach Russ Rose said repeatedly over the course of the year how the NCAA change from 30 increased the chances of an upset.

But this Lion team wasn't typical. A 12-2 run against Cal, a national semifinalist last year, not only led to the Rec Hall stands shaking but also to another three-set sweep.

But perhaps the defining moment of this team happened in the next round against the Cornhuskers. All season long, it was unknown how Penn State would respond once it lost a set.

After the Lions raced out to a 2-0 lead in sets, Nebraska rallied to force a fifth and deciding set. In front of rabid, fans screaming "Go Big Red," the Cornhuskers took a 10-8 lead.

It appeared a seemingly unbeatable team had finally met its match.

But sometimes it takes the lowest point to see the character of a team.

Just five points from an abrupt end to the season, Penn State rallied with a 7-1 run to eliminate Nebraska.

Of course, it is impossible to know for sure whether or not the Lions just completed the best season by a women's collegiate volleyball team ever. Who knows what team will arrive down the road.

One thing is certain: teams down the line will be judged against this one.

And that should be nothing short of an honor.