Maddy Evans took a seat on the field, lowered her head and placed it in her lap following last weekend's disappointing loss to William & Mary.
Senior Megan Monroig would have none of that. She walked over to Evans, reached out an arm and pulled her younger teammate up from off the ground.
For Monroig, a simple act like this hasn't been uncharacteristic so far this year. As one of only two seniors on a young team, Monroig's coaches and teammates have watched her raise the bar for the rest of the team and step into a position of leadership on and off the field.
"She's been fantastic," coach Erica Walsh said. " She was out here [Tuesday] having her hardest training session of the year and she completely set the standard. She's got a better psychological dimension and she's going to bring this team up with her."
With her patented black headband and armbands on, Monroig roamed through the backfield during last weekend's games with her sights on the ball. And as soon as it entered her zone, in the blink of an eye she cocked her foot back and cleared it right back out of danger.
But it's not just her ability to defend that makes her so valuable, but also her ability to lead on the field too. Barreling after forwards like a freight train, Monroig shouts out to her fellow defenders and helps lead the communication on the field amongst the players.
A leadership she has developed over time, Monroig knows how to pick up on things during a game and relay them to her coaches and teammates
"She's leading it in different ways," Walsh said. "Against William & Mary, she was struggling against one of their forwards and she recognized it, raised her hand and asked how do I handle this. She recognizes her strengths and weaknesses, and she plays within them."
Walsh added that in the past Monroig spent a lot of time talking, but "now she is doing a better job of listening." This growth has helped her become more of a leader for the Nittany Lions, and with only two seniors on the team it has become essential.
Monroig, along with fellow senior Dani Toney, has been doing anything she needs to help the team stay on track early in the season.
"She's making sure everyone is doing what they need to do," Toney said. "She's encouraging everyone and answering questions. We're just trying to work together in it."
At media day, Monroig said being one of only two seniors left on the team --- after losing six people from her class for various reasons since joining the team -- gives her a lot of pride in herself and the team, which makes her want to win for Penn State.
Monroig added the goal is to make the Final Four this year and that's been her main focus.
"That's what we want our team to be on board with," she said. "Everyone's been great and wants the same thing. In and out of practice everyday we are working hard and accomplishing what we have to do."
