For four years, Nicole Fawcett and Christa Harmotto were teammates on the Penn State women's volleyball team. Both earned All-America honors and led the team to two national championships before graduating last spring.
Now, the two are still teammates, but the stage is much bigger. Fawcett and Harmotto are playing for the United States' Women's National Team.
While both are excited at the opportunity to represent their country against some of the best teams in the world, the transition to the international game has not been easy.
"I would say the biggest difference is how quick everything happens," Harmotto said. "How fast the offenses are and how different each team is. You have Russia who sets high outside balls, then you have Thailand running a quick combo offense. It's just a matter of adjusting to different teams every match."
Fawcett said she didn't realize the difference until she recently attended a college game at Long Beach State in California.
"I was just blown away at the difference in the level of play," Fawcett said. "The game is a lot faster now that we're at a higher level. Every aspect of the game is at a higher level."
To help them with the transition, both players have kept close contact with Penn State coach Russ Rose. Rose said he offers the players advice but also talks to his former players about things that will help him with his coaching.
"I ask them questions that they can tell me about their experience and seeing the best players in the world that can make me a better coach," Rose said. "I'm excited that these kids who had that as a goal on their to-do list are having the opportunity to experience volleyball at the highest level."
Of all the advice Rose tries to relay to his former players, the most important thing he wants them to remember is to not get too overwhelmed and take everything in stride.
"I tell them that they need to be patient," Rose said. "They've got great teammates around them and it's kind of a transition time right now. They have a lot of the younger players in and a lot of the veterans out. When the veterans return, they'll be in a whole different scenario of competition."
Along with the difference in level of competition, both players have to deal with a hectic traveling schedule. Since joining the team, they have traveled to Brazil, Chinese Tapei, and Thailand all within the span of a month.
Fawcett said she's enjoying the unique experience of being able to travel the world, but Harmotto said the traveling has taught her a lot of lessons, ones that don't have anything to do with volleyball.
"The biggest thing is how lucky we are to be born in the United States," Harmotto said. "When we visited Thailand and Taiwan, the living conditions are sad, and it really makes you appreciate where we're from and what we represent."
Although both players have been adjusting to a different, quicker game. Both have had their moment in the spotlight early on in their international careers.
After only one week of training with the team, Fawcett posted the team's best offensive performance in the Federation International de Volleyball World Grand Prix. Fawcett totaled 27 points and 11 digs against Puerto Rico, as the team came back from a two-set deficit.
Harmotto, meanwhile, tallied a match-high 18 points against Egypt and produced 16 kills on 25 attempts.
Both are happy to have experienced some success early in their careers, but they know it's a learning experience. At times, the experience can be demanding, but Fawcett said having her former college roommate around is helping her deal with the tougher aspects.
"We have an understanding about each other that nobody else is gonna understand," Fawcett said. "We know how each other works and what our feelings are, and if we're down we know how to make sure everything is better. It's nice to have that person to lean on."
