Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

The Penn State women's volleyball team (11-2) is No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll -- its lowest ranking since November 2006.

The slide comes only three days after the then-No. 2 Nittany Lions fell to then-No. 9 Illinois, which snapped Penn State's streak of 65-straight wins against Big Ten opponents.

In this week's poll, Stanford (11-0) is the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, gathering all 60 first-place votes. The Florida Gators -- who Penn State beat earlier in the season at the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic -- is No. 2 followed by Nebraska. 

The Fighting Illini (10-2) didn't receive much love from the voters after their historic win on Friday. They only jumped two spots and are now ranked No. 7.

Other Big Ten teams in the poll include No. 17 Minnesota, No. 19 Michigan and No. 25 Northwestern. Ohio State and Purdue also received votes.

Penn State returns to conference play this weekend when it hosts unranked Michigan State and Michigan at Rec Hall.

-Emily Kaplan

Sports Editorials

Volleyball: Women's

The Big Ten season is just four days away and begins with a matchup of the top two teams in the conference.

When the No. 2 Penn State women's volleyball team travels to No. 5 Illinois Friday, it should expect a packed house inside the Illini's Huff Hall.

According to the Daily Illini, Illinois could sell out for the Big Ten opener with the Nittany Lions. Huff Hall is said to seat about 4,300 fans, and it's anticipated that up to 2,000 students could attend the match.

This is the first time Illinois has sold tickets for a match on the Internet, and more than 1,000 fans bought them to see Illinois take on the Lions.

The Illini are 8-2 and were ranked as high as No. 3 this season. Penn State has not lost a Big Ten match since falling to Ohio State on Nov. 8, 2006.

Volleyball: Women's

Her collegiate volleyball career is just four weeks old, but freshman Deja McClendon is already being recognized as one of the top players in the conference.

McClendon -- the 6-foot-1 outside hitter on the Penn State women's volleyball team -- was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, conference officials announced Monday. It is McClendon's second honor of the season, as she was the co-winner of the award in Week Two. 

The Louisville, Ky. native shined this past weekend as the No. 2 Nittany Lions swept three opponents -- George Washington, Princeton and St. John's -- in the Rockvale Outlets Classic at Rec Hall. McClendon was second on the Lions with 25 kills and posted a team-best .525 hitting percentage. 

Michigan’s Alex Hunt was named the Big Ten Player of the Week while Ohio State’s Mariah Booth garnered Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

With the non-conference portion of its schedule finished, Penn State will kick off Big Ten play Friday with a trip to Illinois. Check the Collegian throughout the week for more coverage.

Sports Editorials

We're headed into week two of the NFL season after an exciting week one. Every one in the competition will be hoping Jim Regan doesn't run away with this competition right now, so keep your fingers crossed for an off week.

Christian Ragland - UPUA president
Talor Battle - Penn State point guard (this spot will rotate among Penn State athletes)
Alex Cohen - Paternoville president
Zack Krieger - Executive director of SPA
Adam Copeland - student (this spot will rotate among Penn State students). Adam is a health and human development major and won this week's spot in the Collegian Pick 'Em contest by providing the best caption for a picture in the paper last Thursday.
Jim Regan - Nittany Lion Fund president
Steve Hennessey - Daily Collegian sports editor
Bill Landis - Daily Collegian night editor
Paul Casella - Daily Collegian assistant sports editor

ARIZONA @ ATLANTA
Battle: Falcons
Ragland: Cardinals, 21-7
Cohen: Falcons
Krieger: Cardinals, 17-13
Copeland: Falcons
Regan: Falcons, 17-10 -- Hotlanta at home is the way to go. Cards almost dropped one to the Rams and don't have the leadership required of a playoff team.
Landis: Falcons
Hennessey: Cardinals, 21-17 -- Was not impressed at all with Atlanta against Pittsburgh, so I have no reason to pick them here.
Casella: Falcons 23-13 -- The Cardinals barely got by my beloved Rams, not a good sign for them.

BALTIMORE @ CINCINNATI
Battle: Ravens
Ragland: Ravens, 24-14
Cohen: Ravens
Krieger: Ravens, 24-14
Copeland: Ravens
Regan: Ravens, 23-17 -- Ravens defense looked great in Week 1, Flacco should settle in and throw fewer picks for a Ravens win on the road.
Landis: Ravens
Hennessey: Ravens 20-14 -- Flacco picked apart the Jets' defense in Week 1, so he should find similar success this week. Anquan Boldin was a huge pick up.
Casella: Ravens, 26-24 -- Cincinnati puts up a couple touchdowns, but the Ochocinco-Owens show falls to 0-2.

KANSAS CITY @ CLEVELAND
Battle: Chiefs
Ragland: Chiefs, 17-6
Cohen: Chiefs
Krieger: Chiefs, 17-13
Copeland: Chiefs
Regan: Chiefs, 21-13 -- Kansas City fans will think they have a shot once they beat the Browns this week... unfortunately their season crumbles after a promising 2-0 start. I'm amazed at how the Browns can be favored after the show the Chiefs put on Monday night, but to each his own.
Landis: Chiefs
Hennessey: Browns, 21-17 -- For some reason, I have confidence in Eric Mangini and Charlie Weis to gameplan against the Chiefs. They must find a way to stop Jamaal Charles. I think it's possible.
Casella: Chiefs, 24-16 -- The Browns haven't settled on a running back quite yet, and using Jake Delhomme means they are literally "settling" at quarterback. Chiefs off to a surprising 2-0 start.

CHICAGO @ DALLAS
Battle: Cowboys
Ragland: Cowboys, 28-10
Cohen: Cowboys
Krieger: Cowboys, 21-7
Copeland: Cowboys
Regan: Cowboys, 27-13 -- No question here... Cowboys are the better team, and at home with a bitter taste of a division loss in their mouth they will surge.
Landis: Cowboys
Hennessey: Cowboys, 35-21 -- Cowboys roll in unimpressive fashion.
Casella: Cowboys, 20-10 -- As Hennessey said, I don't think either team shows us much in this one, but Dallas bounces back from the tough loss to Washington last week.

PHILADELPHIA @ DETROIT
Battle: Eagles
Ragland: Eagles, 24-3
Cohen: Eagles
Krieger: Eagles, 28-20
Copeland:
Regan: Eagles, 24-16 -- Vick is the new QB here, at least eventually. Lions can't scrape together a win at home against an Eagles team that knows they could have won last week.
Landis: Lions
Hennessey: Eagles, 17-14 -- This is somehow a close game. If Stafford gets comfortable and finds success, then the Lions could pull off an improbable upset.
Casella: Eagles, 23-13 -- Eagles fans strongly overreact to Vick's performance against a lowly Lions team, and start talking about Super Bowl plans. And with Jacksonville, Washington and San Fran coming up for the Eagles, the overreaction continues for a month.

BUFFALO @ GREEN BAY
Battle: Packers
Ragland: Packers, 17-10
Cohen: Packers
Krieger: Packers, 20-3
Copeland: Packers
Regan: Packers, 30-14 -- I shouldn't even need commentary here... even without Ryan Grant the Pack is too fierce for Buffalo. Spread is 12.5 points, I'd be dumb not to go for Green Bay.
Landis: Packers
Hennessey: Packers, 24-6 -- Bills might be the worst team in the NFL this year, and the Packers might win the Super Bowl.
Casella: Packers, 27-9 -- Packers are without starting RB Ryan Grant for the rest of the year. But for this week they could be without all their starters and still roll by double digits over the only team in the league dumb enough to design their team logo after its city name instead of team nickname.

PITTSBURGH @ TENNESSEE
Battle: Steelers (didn't think Bubby would pick against his namesake)
Ragland: Titans, 14-3
Cohen: Titans
Krieger: Titans, 10-6
Copeland: Titans
Regan: Titans, 24-16 -- Picking the Steelers was gutsy enough in week one, can't make it happen two weeks in a row... especially against a great Titans squad that looks to be a guarantee in the playoffs.
Landis: Steelers
Hennessey: Titans, 20-10 -- Tennessee would take pleasure in beating down PIttsburgh, but Art Rooney's team historically has more pride than that.
Casella: Titans, 27-17 -- Pittsburgh just doesn't have the same look as it has in the past few years, even if they had Roethlisberger right now, something just feels different about this team.

MIAMI @ MINNESOTA
Battle: Vikings
Ragland: Vikings, 35-10
Cohen: Vikings
Krieger: Vikings, 21-10
Copeland: Vikings
Regan: Vikings, 24-20 -- Vikings are going to avenge their loss, but it is going to be close and I am tempted to pick the Dolphins. Still, let's go with the home team.
Landis: Vikings
Hennessey: Vikings, 27-13 -- Brett Favre looks really impressive, unfortunately.
Casella: Dolphins, 24-17 -- Part of me made this pick because I come from a family of Dolphins fans. Part of me made it because I hate Brett Favre. With a passion. So if I get this one right, it'll feel like two wins in one.

TAMPA BAY @ CAROLINA
Battle: Panthers
Ragland: Panthers, 24-14
Cohen: Buccaneers
Krieger: Panthers, 17-9
Copeland: Panthers
Regan: Panthers, 20-10 -- Panthers put up a fight against the G-Men, the best team in the NFL, so I give them the green light against the Buccos.
Landis: Panthers
Hennessey: Panthers, 23-17 -- Steve Smith won't let his team lose this game.
Casella: Buccaneers, 22-16 -- Real quick, name Carolina's quarterback. If you couldn't do it without looking it up, I'm sure you're not alone. Too many question marks in Carolina for me to pick them right now.

SEATTLE @ DENVER
Battle: Broncos
Ragland: Broncos, 21-7
Cohen: Broncos
Krieger: Broncos, 20-10
Copeland: Broncos
Regan: Broncos, 21-17 -- Seahawks had a great week one, but let's not lose control... they did just beat the 49ers. In the words of the Bat Dad "Lets gooo Denverrr."
Landis: Seahawks
Hennessey: Broncos, 17-14 -- Denver is completely disseminated by injuries, but the Seahawks aren't good enough to steal a win in INVESCO at Mile High Stadium.
Casella: Broncos, 27-13 -- Denver lost a tough one to Jacksonville last week. Seattle looked better than they actually are against San Fran. Both teams leave Denver at 1-1 Sunday night.

ST. LOUIS @ OAKLAND
Battle: Raiders
Ragland: Rams, 24-14
Cohen: Raiders
Krieger: Rams, 13-10
Copeland: Rams
Regan: Rams, 17-14 -- The garbage bowl. Take the home team in a situation like this.
Landis: Rams
Hennessey: Raiders, 14-9 -- This could be the worst matchup all season long.
Casella: Rams, 27-23 -- Rams defense definitely went with the "bend, but don't break" style last week. Let Arizona drive a lot, but forced seven fumbles and recovered four. Bradford has his first start under his belt, and now he gets his first win, too.

NEW ENGLAND @ JETS
Battle: Patriots
Ragland: Patriots, 28-17
Cohen: Patriots
Krieger: Patriots, 27-14
Copeland: Patriots
Regan: Patriots, 27-23 -- Great matchup, getcha' popcorn ready for this one. The Jets got too caught up in their own hype...the misery continues at home.
Landis: Patriots
Hennessey: Patriots, 24-16 -- There's gonna be a lot of hard knocks at practice next week after Rex Ryan's pretenders start their hyped-up season 0-2.
Casella: Patriots, 31-17 -- Good thing "Hard Knocks" is giving people reasons to talk about the Jets because their play isn't going to. I couldn't understand all offseason why this team was being talked about as Super Bowl contenders, and after they get off to an 0-2 start, I think more people will share in my confusion.

JACKSONVILLE @ SAN DIEGO
Battle: Chargers
Ragland: Chargers, 14-10
Cohen: Chargers
Krieger: Jaguars, 23-14
Copeland: Chargers
Regan: Chargers, 20-10 -- San Diego favored by 7, they are better than what they showed us last week and probably should have won anyway. Chargers will light it up this week.
Landis: Chargers
Hennessey: Chargers, 27-17 -- Chargers get back on track but still miss Vincent Jackson. Rookie Ryan Mathews breaks out for 150+ yards.
Casella: Chargers, 31-20 -- Regardless of what happened last week, the Chargers are the better team in this one.

HOUSTON @ WASHINGTON
Battle: Redskins
Ragland: Redskins, 28-14
Cohen: Texans
Krieger: Texans, 28-13
Copeland: Texans
Regan: Texans, 23-14 -- Texans are the real deal, the skins are not. They managed to get the win over the 'boys, but Houston has some mojo this year and will continue to roll.
Landis: Texans
Hennessey: Redskins, 21-17 -- The Texans? As Lee Corso would say, NOT so fast my friends. Redskins are a solid 9-7 team this year.
Casella: Texans, 27-20 -- Sure, the Redskins knocked off the Cowboys, but McNabb completed less than 50 percent of his passes and Portis had almost nothing going on the ground. The Texans actually looked dominant against a dominant team.

GIANTS @ COLTS
Battle: Colts
Ragland: Colts, 28-17
Cohen: Colts
Krieger: Colts, 27-20
Copeland: Colts
Regan: Giants, 72-3 (not a typo) --Tough to root against my boys... so I won't. Giants baby! With a banged up offensive line... we still rock the colts on the road.
Landis: Colts
Hennessey: Colts, 35-28 -- I love Regan's enthusiasm for the G-Men, but Peyton wouldn't let his little brother hand his team a loss to make it 0-2.
Casella: Colts, 31-23 -- Colts bounce back from the opening week loss and Peyton shows what everyone should already know - Eli is not anywhere close to being on Peyton's level.

NEW ORLEANS @ SAN FRANCISCO
Battle: Saints
Ragland: Saints, 41-17
Cohen: Saints
Krieger: Saints, 28-13
Copeland: Saints
Regan: Saints, 26-14 -- Super Bowl champs face a tough road game with a challenge they don't see coming. Still, creole food is too hot for the west coast.
Landis: Saints
Hennessey: Saints, 31-17 -- 49ers are a mess with their offense all blaming each other.
Casella: Saints, 38-13 -- 49ers got blown out by the Seahawks last week. The Saints may be better than when they won the Super Bowl seven months ago. Not a good combination.

Soccer: Men's

This Friday, the No. 23 Lions (3-1-0)- make the trek across time zones to Colorado Springs, Colo. to take on the Air Force Academy (1-3-0). Getting out to the Academy alone will be a challenge in itself, but Friday's game will be no easy contest either. Let's take a look at what Penn State will be up against in the Falcons.

Previously against Penn State:

It's been more than 20 years since the two teams last met. The Lions played Air Force to 0-0 tie at the Air Force Invitational on Sep. 4, 1989. The tie was the only meeting between the two teams.

What they've done so far:

The Falcons have had a rough start to the 2010 season. Having been outscored 8-2 in four contests, Air Force's record currently stand at 1-3. This past weekend, the Falcons went 0-2 at the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Central tournament, falling to San Diego State 1-0, and 5-0 to No. 12 UC Irvine. Air Force's lone win was a 2-1, overtime victory over Cal Poly on Sep. 5.

Forwards:

Having graduated its top three goal scorers from last season, Air Force is looking for someone to step up as legitimate goal-scoring threat. A pair of sophomore strikers have led the Air Force offense so far this season. Zana Dydasco and Conor Henry each have one of the team's two goals. Dydasco, a former Gatorade Hawaii Player of the Year, started 15 games last year for the Falcons, scoring twice. Henry, who didn't play at all as a freshman, notched the game winning goal in overtime against Cal Poly earlier this season.

Midfielders:

On its official roster, Air Force carries just five midfielders. Though short in numbers, the Falcons have definite talent at the position. Sophomore Kevin Durr, a Garmisch, Germany native, was the only freshman on the team to start every game in 2009. Durr's eight points were tied or third on the team last season, and his three goals were tied for second. Also out of the midfield, junior John Melcher, was named the Falcons' Most Improved Player in 2009. At 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, Melcher isn't the most physical player on the field, but uses his quickness to create chances.

Defense:

The Falcons' talent may be the deepest at defender. Junior Eric Wilson brings the most experience, having been one of just three players start every game last season and leading the team in minutes played. Sophomores Jake Jones and Eric Tise will also contribute. Jones uses his 6-foot-4 stature to gain a physical edge on forwards.

Goalkeeping:

In goal, sophomore Matt Underwood has beaten out senior Fernando Suito Acuna for the starting spot. Underwood boasts a 1.71 goals against average, and has made 20 saves this season, good for a .741 save percentage.

Keys to the Game:

-Set pieces -

Free kicks and corners have become a bit of a problem this season for the Lions. Penn State has yet to score on a set piece, and has given up more than a few goals on them so far this year. Enter their fifth game of the season, the Lions should be figuring out and addressing the problems on free kicks by this time in the year.

-Intensity -

Playing Air Force isn't like playing most other teams. Players on the team take games very seriously and are very disciplined, a result of attending a service school. They represent their country in everything they do, and will do whatever it takes to get a win.

Volleyball: Women's

And they're back.

Coming off their first loss of the season -- and first loss in nearly three years -- the No. 2 Nittany Lions return to Rec Hall for the Rockvale Outlets Classic. Here's a little preview of what to expect from Penn State's first match -- a Friday night contest against George Washington.

Friday at 7:00 p.m. vs. George Washington (8-3)

Player to Watch: Lauren Whyte. The sophomore outside hitter is the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week and the Colonial's most consistent offensive threat. Whyte has recorded six double-doubles this season -- she had 15 double-doubles in all of last season -- and currently leads the A-10 in kills and points. If the Lions can contain her, they can contain the Colonials.

Strength: Experience. George Washington returns five starters and nine letterwinners from last year's squad that finished the season 21-12.

Weakness: Size. The Colonials are simply overmatched by Big Ten powerhouse Penn State -- you can see it just by looking at the rosters. On George Washington's 16-player roster, just eight girls are taller than 6-feet. Their tallest player? 6-foot-3 middle hitter Brianna DeBrock. The Lions, meanwhile, have 12 players who stand above 6-feet including 6-foot-5 All-American Blair Brown.

Bottom Line: Penn State wins, 3-0. The Lions start off the weekend with a one-game winning streak. 

Sports Editorials

I thought I was dreaming.

First, when I woke up this morning, the Country Music Television channel somehow was playing some sort of country tune from my TV.

Once I came to my senses and changed the channel to "Mike and Mike in the Morning" (not my choice morning radio show, that'd be Boomer & Carton on WFAN), I was perplexed.

"A major controversy" were the first words I heard Mike Greenberg uttering. Then, I saw Derek Jeter's acting performance from last night's Rays win over the Yankees, when Jeter pretended a pitch hit him on the hand and tricked the home plate umpire into giving him a free pass.

Rays manager Joe Maddon got ejected after arguing the call, and reportedly said, 'How is that possible?' because the ball ricocheted back far into play.

It was pure acting by Jeter. He knew the ball never hit him and he even milked it when Yankees trainer Gene Monahan ran out of the dugout to check on him.

Still, on SportsCenter and "Mike and Mike", they were acting like Jeter did something new. I'd estimate that this same play has been achieved hundreds of times in the past two decades or so. Nonetheless, Greenberg and Golic debated the fact that Jeter is a cheater.

Golic disputed this fact, citing other sports where there are "small things to gain an advantage" and help the team win. Examples: an outfielder selling he caught a ball he actually trapped in baseball, or a wide receiver selling he caught a ball even though he knows the ball hit the ground in football.

Baseball experts Tim Kurkijan, Buster Olney basically made fun of the fact that they were even talking about this. Former NFL player Mark Schlereth admitted he held on every play toward the end of his career.

It's commonplace. Jeter is not a cheat. He's doing whatever he can to help his team win the game.

A letter from a listener in Norway came into the show, basically calling out Golic because he might as well have said it's okay for kids to cheat in school, to steal, etc.

I had to stand up to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Just because fans always yearn for the fair result, doesn't mean that we should be using instant replay for every small play to make sure the officials called the play correctly.

As it was, the Rays probably were ignited by Maddon's fury and rallied to beat the Yankees, 4-3. And, you can be sure that Jeter will get an up-and-in fastball the next time the two teams meet (next week, and probably for the reigns to the AL East).

And Jeter will take the hit by pitch in stride and trot to first base -- not because he knows he cheated, but because he knows he tried to help his team win a crucial September baseball game.

And he knows he would do the same thing in a similar situation.

Ice Hockey: Men's

There has not been an official announcement from Penn State about adding a Division I men's and women's hockey team, but reports indicate that a move is imminent.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ron Musselman tweeted the newspaper learned that Penn State will announce a move to Division I hockey Friday.

Penn State currently plays as a Division I club team in the ACHA.

Plans for a new hockey rink will be announced Friday, according to Inside Pittsburgh Sports' William DePaoli. DePaoli reported a large donation, in the amount of $88 million, to finance a new arena and money for scholarships. Terry Pegula has been rumored to be the donor for a new ice rink ever since he was spotted in Chicago with Joe Battista, former president of the Nittany Lion Fund and former coach of the Icers.

The Icers currently play in the Greenberg Ice Pavilion with a seating capacity of about 1,300. The new rink reportedly will seat 6,000 to 8,000, according to reports. DePaoli reported the ice rink could be located across from the Bryce Jordan Center.

The move would come after years of speculation and anticipation that the university should make a move to add a Division I team. Currently, five Big Ten teams field a Division I squad.

Royal Dutch Shell bought out Pegula's company for $4.7 billion and he is rumored to be donating most, if not all the money.
Penn State assistant director of communications Jeff Nelson declined comment when reached on the phone Wednesday evening.

Sports Editorials

With Week One of the NFL in the books, let's take a look at how the first week of our NFL Pick 'Em competition went. Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president, was the runaway winner this week, correctly predicting 13 of the 16 games on opening weekend. Here is how everyone fared:

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 13-3
Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 10-6
Bill Landis, sports night editor: 10-6
Brad Pataky, Penn State wrestler (this spot will rotate among Penn State athletes): 10-6
Paul Casella, assistant sports editor: 9-7
Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 9-7
Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 9-7
Zack Krieger, SPA executive director: 8-8
Jack Gashi, Penn State student (this spot will rotate among Penn State students): 8-8

Be sure to check back Friday when we will post everyone's picks for the upcoming weekend's games.

- Casella

Volleyball: Women's

Sports Editorials

The NFL season is finally upon us, which means Week One of the Collegian's NFL Pick 'Em is underway, too.

Without the results of Monday night's games, Nittany Lion Fund president Jim Regan leads the standings following an impressive 12-2 Week One performance. Regan was the only competitor to predict the Texans beating the Colts this week, propelling him to the top of the standings.

Here's an updated list of the rankings after Sunday's games. The Jets/Ravens and Chargers/Chiefs will play tonight, so we will update these rankings after tonight's games:

Jim Regan, Nittany Lion Fund president: 12-2
Steve Hennessey, sports editor: 10-4
Christian Ragland, UPUA president: 9-5
Bill Landis, sports night editor: 9-5
Brad Pataky, Penn State wrestler (this spot will rotate among Penn State athletes): 8-6
Paul Casella, ass't sports editor: 8-6
Alex Cohen, Paternoville president: 7-7
Zack Krieger, SPA executive director: 7-7
Jack Gashi, Penn State student (this spot will rotate among Penn State students): 7-7

-Steve Hennessey

Volleyball: Women's

It's been 268 days since the Penn State women's volleyball team made its epic comeback against Texas to win its third-straight national championship on national television.

But on Monday, the Nittany Lions will make their way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to be honored by President Barack Obama for their success.

The Lions, along with a cluster of other schools who won national titles last season, will hear remarks from the president at 5:45 p.m. The Penn State men's and women's fencing teams will also be present.

We will be live at the ceremony from the White House, so make sure you check out the blog as well as our Twitter feed for live updates, pictures and possibly video of the event.

Here's a complete list of the teams that will be honored:

Augusta State University men's golf
Boston College men's ice hockey
Duke University men's lacrosse
Fairleigh Dickinson University women's bowling
Oklahoma State University men's cross country
Pennsylvania State University women's volleyball

Pennsylvania State University men's & momen's fencing
Purdue University women's golf
Stanford University men's volleyball
Stanford University women's tennis

Texas A&M University, College Station men's and women's outdoor track and field
Texas Christian University men's and women's rifle
University of California, Los Angeles softball
University of California Los Angeles women's gymnastics
University of Denver men's and women's skiing
University of Florida men's indoor track and field
University of Florida women's swimming and diving
University of Iowa wrestling
University of Maryland women's lacrosse
University of Michigan men's gymnastics
University of Minnesota - Duluth women's ice hockey
University of North Carolina field hockey
University of North Carolina women's soccer
University of Oregon women's indoor track and field
University of South Carolina baseball
University of Southern California men's tennis
University of Southern California men's water polo
University of Southern California women's water polo
University of Texas men's swimming and diving
University of Virginia men's soccer
University of Virginia women's rowing
Villanova University women's cross country
Villanova University football

- Jake Kaplan

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

After dropping the first set, the No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team came back to defeat Florida in four sets (20-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-23) Friday to remain perfect on the season.

It's safe to say we learned more in two hours than in the first six matches, combined. Here are a few things that stuck out while watching the contest.

1. Alyssa D'Errico may be the heart of this team. She's been a part of all the recent success, and is a senior leader on this team -- not just vocally, but by her play. Against Florida, she did a little bit of everything for the Nittany Lions. Not surprisingly D'Errico had 15 digs and four aces in the match. She also acted a setter from the back row at times and tallied five assists. She was one of the key reasons the Lions were able to bounce back after dropping the first set.

2. How about Deja McClendon? Penn State football coach Joe Paterno used the term "poised" to describe freshman quarterback Rob Bolden. Well, the same can be said about McClendon. The freshman outside hitter looked in total control for much of the match and guided the Lions' offense with a team-high 18 kills. She may have felt some nerves, but her signature smile hid them from view as she took it to Florida.

3. Though the stat sheet may not indicate it, Katie Slay and Katie Kabbes were both vital to the win. Kabbes was one of the few Lions who was hitting well early, and she was pretty consistent for the entire match as she finished with eight kills. Slay made a difference off the bench as she was a force at the net. It may have just been a coincidence, but the Gators didn't seem to be as in sync when Slay was looming in the middle.

4. It was obvious early that Kristin Carpenter's short stature could pose a threat to the Lions against talented teams. Florida was hitting right over Carpenter's block attempts en route to taking the first set. However, the sophomore setter adjusted and had a little more success as the match went on. She even tallied two kills to go along with her 41 assists.

5. You can't forget to mention seniors Blair Brown and Arielle Wilson. Though other teams know to look for them to attack, the two still managed to find success offensively. Brown had 16 kills, while Wilson had 11 on .429 hitting. Whenever Florida got some momentum, it was either Brown or Wilson who got the Lions back on track with a timely kill.

Final Thought- The Lions showed some fight Friday. Some of the newcomers to the starting lineup hadn't faced much adversity until the Florida match. The crowd was very hostile and knew the streak could potentially be snapped at the hands of the Gators. After dropping the first set, Penn State appeared to settle in and become the better team. Still, it's obvious the Lions aren't a step above everyone else as they've been the past few seasons. It will take another great effort to remain perfect Saturday, when the Lions take on No. 2 Stanford.

-Ryan Loy.

Soccer: Men's

One is heading a program for the first year, the other has been with his school for over a decade. But both know how to take a team to a winning level.First-year head coach Bob Warming and Bucknell coach Brendan Nash will both be looking for a victory in Friday night's match up. They're both well aware of the recent rivalry between their teams and anticipate another classic this weekend. The two coaches gave their thoughts on the upcoming game and the rivalry.

Warming

-On the rivalry: "First of all, I think we're kind of the big brother up the road here. So I think for them it's a very, very big game. It's a close game, some of their students can come over. It's proven to be a highly contested contest the last couple years. But it's a game with a lot of testosterone flying around."

-On Bucknell: "They're big and physical. They've got three guys around 6'4 or 6'5 on the team, so we can't foul. You can't give up free kicks, you can't give up corners because they live for those kind of situations. You can't give up long throws either."

-On what Penn State needs to do to win: "We;ve got to keep the ball, keep possession of the ball and we won't be fouling them if we have the ball. So we're gonna keep the ball as much as we can this game."

Nash

-On Penn State: "We know that they're much the same personnel as last year. But with a different head coach so we don't have that much of a scouting report on what type of style of play they're gonna play this year from just their two games that they played. But if they're playing the same type of style that they have been then we know that they're pretty talented, pretty fast and very skillful. They have the perfect storm of things that you want in a team right now."

-On losing to Penn State 6-0 in the spring and the rivalry: "It was a big victory, they killed us. I think it's one of those things that for years we've been trying to close the gap between their level and our level. I think the last two falls and the spring before the last one we felt like we were beginning to close the gap, and then this last spring, they pretty much showed us that they widened the gap quite a bit again. So it's not so much as a revenge thing, but to show that we're not as bad as we were in the spring."

-On what his team can achieve this year: "I think it's too early to determine and that's why we're really looking forward to this weekend because we have two really good opponents that we're playing and we know that they're probably two of the strongest teams that we're gonna play this year. So we're going into it knowing that it's a much different team than last year but we still don't know who we are. We're gonna go play against such quality opponents that we feel like some of our young guys we can get a feel of who they are. Guys in new positions, we can get a little bit of a sense of how they're gonna perform this year. So there are a lot of expectations for our team, but we don't know if we're there yet. So this week is gonna be a good test of exactly where we're headed."

Soccer: Men's

Volleyball: Women's

Coach Russ Rose doesn't think his Nittany Lions deserve the nation's No. 1 ranking. They haven't proven anything yet, he says.

Well, this weekend, they can.

The Penn State women's volleyball team (6-0) will be tested at the Nike Big Four Classic in Gainesville, Fl. And it'll be a hard test. The Lions' first match is against the host, Florida. And the Gators will be playing in front of an energetic home crowd -- it's a home football weekend in Gainesville.

Here's a little preview of what to expect:

Friday at 7:30 p.m. vs. No. 4 Florida (5-0)
 
Player to Watch: Kelly Murphy. There's nobody in the country playing better than Murphy right now. The junior -- averaging 2.58 kills-per-set on .356 hitting through five games this season -- currently leads the nation in career triple-doubles. Penn State senior Cathy Quilico said the Lions have been focusing on Murphy at practice this week. Florida runs a  6-2, which means Murphy, a setter, also hits. "She's very good," Quilico said. "We just have to be prepared. We have to be ready. That's definitely someone to focus on when we play Florida." It'll be tough for the young Lions to completely shut Murphy down -- she's just too dynamic. Instead, they'll have to focus on limiting the Gators' other options -- mainly senior Lauren Bledsoe, another strong offensive threat.
 
Strength: Murphy. She's a player who can single-handedly dominate a match, and her performance could be the deciding factor in this contest between Top 5 teams.

Weakness: Florida has a weakness in its libero position. Elyse Cusack graduated last spring as the SEC's all-time leader in digs. She was a vital contributor to last season's 23-6 Gator squad. Replacing Cusack will be Erin Fleming, a former walk-on. Fleming is still adjusting to the Gators' 6-2 system and could be exploited by Penn State's potent attack.
 
Bottom Line: Penn State wins, 3-2. The streak doesn't end -- just yet.
 

-Emily Kaplan

Sports Editorials

As we sit just less than three hours away from the NFL regular season kicking off, the Penn State Pick 'Em is also ready to get underway. Following are all the picks for the week one games from each of our guests. Before we get to the picks, here is a quick rundown of each of the people participating in this year-long contest:

Christian Ragland - UPUA president
Brad Pataky - Penn State wrestler (this spot will rotate among Penn State athletes)
Alex Cohen - Paternoville president
Zack Krieger - Executive director of SPA
Jack Gashi - Senior student (this spot will rotate among Penn State students)
Jim Regan - Nittany Lion Fund president
Steve Hennessey - Daily Collegian sports editor
Bill Landis - Daily Collegian night editor
Paul Casella - Daily Collegian assistant sports editor

Minnesota @ New Orleans
Ragland - Saints
Pataky - Saints
Cohen - Saints
Krieger - Saints
Gashi - Saints
Regan - Saints
Hennessey - Saints
Landis - Saints
Casella - Saints

Carolina @ NY Giants
Ragland - Giants
Pataky - Giants
Cohen - Giants
Krieger - Giants
Gashi - Panthers
Regan - Giants
Hennessey - Giants
Landis - Giants
Casella - Giants

Atlanta @ Pittsburgh
Ragland - Falcons
Pataky - Steelers
Cohen - Falcons
Krieger - Steelers
Gashi - Falcons
Regan - Steelers
Hennessey - Steelers
Landis - Steelers
Casella - Falcons

Cleveland @ Tampa Bay
Ragland - Bucs
Pataky - Bucs
Cohen - Browns
Krieger -
Gashi - Browns
Regan - Bucs
Hennessey - Bucs
Landis - Bucs
Casella - Bucs

Denver @ Jacksonville
Ragland - Broncos
Pataky - Jaguars
Cohen - Jaguars
Krieger - Broncos
Gashi - Jaguars
Regan - Broncos
Hennessey - Jaguars
Landis - Broncos
Casella - Broncos

Indianapolis @ Houston
Ragland - Colts
Pataky - Colts
Cohen - Colts
Krieger - Colts
Gashi - Colts
Regan - Texans
Hennessey - Colts
Landis - Colts
Casella - Colts

Miami @ Buffalo
Ragland - Dolphins
Pataky - Dolphins
Cohen - Dolphins
Krieger - Dolphins
Gashi - Dolphins
Regan - Dolphins
Hennessey - Dolphins
Landis - Dolphins
Casella - Dolphins

Detroit @ Chicago
Ragland - Bears
Pataky - Bears
Cohen - Bears
Krieger - Lions
Gashi - Bears
Regan - Bears
Hennessey - Bears
Landis - Bears
Casella - Bears

Oakland @ Tennessee
Ragland - Titans
Pataky - Raiders
Cohen - Titans
Krieger - Titans
Gashi - Titans
Regan - Titans
Hennessey - Titans
Landis - Titans
Casella - Titans

Cincinnati @ New England
Ragland - Patriots
Pataky - Patriots
Cohen - Patriots
Krieger - Bengals
Gashi - Patriots
Regan - Patriots
Hennessey - Patriots
Landis - Bengals
Casella - Patriots

Arizona @ St. Louis
Ragland - Cardinals
Pataky - Rams
Cohen - Rams
Krieger - Cardinals
Gashi - Rams
Regan - Cardinals
Hennessey - Rams
Landis - Cardinals
Casella - Rams

San Francisco @ Seattle
Ragland - 49ers
Pataky - 49ers
Cohen - 49ers
Krieger - 49ers
Gashi - 49ers
Regan - 49ers
Hennessey - 49ers
Landis - Seahawks
Casella - 49ers

Green Bay @ Philadelphia
Ragland - Packers
Pataky - Eagles
Cohen - Eagles
Krieger - Packers
Gashi - Packers
Regan - Packers
Hennessey - Packers
Landis - Eagles
Casella - Packers

Dallas @ Washington
Ragland - Cowboys
Pataky - Cowboys
Cohen - Cowboys
Krieger - Cowboys
Gashi - Cowboys
Regan - Redskins
Hennessey - Cowboys
Landis - Cowboys
Casella - Cowboys

Baltimore @ NY Jets
Ragland - Jets
Pataky - Ravens
Cohen - Ravens
Krieger - Ravens
Gashi - Ravens
Regan - Ravens
Hennessey - Jets
Landis - Ravens
Casella - Ravens

San Diego @ Kansas City
Ragland - Chargers
Pataky - Chiefs
Cohen - Chiefs
Krieger - Chargers
Gashi - Chargers
Regan - Chargers
Hennessey - Chargers
Landis - Chargers
Casella - Chargers

So there you have all the week one picks. Be sure to check back throughout the weekend and see who predicted the NFL's opening weekend the best. Enjoy the return of NFL football.

-Casella

Sports Editorials

With the NFL season set to get underway at 8:30 tonight, be sure to check back later today to see all the picks from the Collegian's sports editors, the UPUA president, a Penn State athlete, a random Penn State student and a few others.
The picks will be posted by Thursday afternoon, and be sure to follow along all season long, as we find out who knows the NFL's 32 teams the best.

-Casella

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

The latest AVCA Division I Coaches Poll was released Monday, with the Penn State women's volleyball team remaining at No. 1 with 55 first-place votes.

However, there was some moving around below the Nittany Lions that relates to this coming weekend's matchups in the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic in Gainesville, Fla.

The Lions' Friday matchup, Florida, is now at No. 5 and received one first-place vote. The Gators are 5-0 this season and handed No. 7 Nebraska its only defeat.

Depending on Friday's results, Penn State will play either Texas or Stanford. There's no easy pick as the Cardinal are No. 2 and received four first-place votes. Stanford jumped up thanks to a Texas loss, but the Longhorns are still in the top-five at No. 5 -- meaning four of the top five teams in the country will be competing in Gainesville this weekend.

Meanwhile, Illinois rose to No. 3 after beating Texas in straight sets. The Illini and Penn State are two of four Big Ten teams in the top 25. Minnesota is No. 12 and Michigan is No. 22. Ohio State and Michigan State also received votes.

Click here for the complete poll.

-Ryan Loy. 

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

Volleyball: Women's

1. While Penn State disposed of Seton Hall in three sets, it was obvious the Nittany Lions weren't nearly as crisp as they've been in recent seasons. Coach Russ Rose said the team is still a work in progress, and he's continuing to tinker with the lineup. Expect some of the sets this weekend to continue to be tight as Rose searches for the best lineup to face Florida and Texas/Stanford next weekend. With a 10 a.m. match with Colgate Saturday, the atmosphere in Rec Hall may be similar to a scrimmage. That should allow for a lot of experimenting.
 
2. The fans got a glimpse of what Rose sees in sophomore Kristin Carpenter. The setter had 38 assists in the match and showed off her athleticism at the net as well. She assisted on two blocks and surprised the crowd with a powerful spike that was dug by Seton Hall.
 
3. Deja McClendon also impressed in her first match at Rec Hall. The freshman led the team with 14 kills while hitting .542. Like Carpenter, McClendon showed off her natural athleticism by getting up high above the net on several occasions.

-Ryan Loy.

Volleyball: Women's

With the Rec Hall crowd standing, Deja McClendon tallies a kill and No. 1 Penn State wins the match in straight sets. The Lions extended their win streak to 106 matches.

****

The Pirates take another timeout as the Lions lead 22-18.

****

Seton Hall calls a timeout as the Lions take a 20-17 lead in the third set.

3,025 is the announced attendance. A very nice and vocal crowd for opening night.

****

Brown helps Penn State regain a 17-16 lead with a big kill.

****

The Rec Hall crowd is trying to pick up the Lions as Penn State trails 15-13.

****

The Pirates come back to tie it at 11, before Wilson gives the Lions back the lead with a kill.

****

Penn State leads 7-2 early on in the third, and most likely final set.

****

The third set is underway as Wilson finishes off a long rally with her seventh kill.

Baseball

Ben Heath just can't seem to get settled on any one team lately.

The former Penn State catcher was promoted to Double-A Corpus Cristi on Wednesday -- the third team of Heath's short professional career as player in the Houston Astros farm system.

Since he was drafted in the fifth round of June's MLB First-Year Player Drafts, Heath has played for Single-A Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, Single-A Lexington of the South Atlantic League and will now play for the Hooks of the Texas League.

Heath is one of just two catchers on the Hooks' roster that are active.

The Nittany Lions' product was hitting .290 with four home runs and 13 runs driven in his short time with Lexington.

Corpus Cristi has five games left and is currently five games back and in last place of the Texas League's South Division.

-Ryan Loy.

Volleyball: Women's

Home fans will have their first chance to see the Penn State women's volleyball team this season when it hosts three matches this weekend.

The No. 1 Nittany Lions will put their 3-0 record and 105-match winning streak on the line against Seton Hall, Colgate and VCU. Here's a breakdown of each team.

Friday at 7 p.m. vs. Seton Hall (1-2)

Player to Watch: Senior outside hitter Sarah Osmun- Though she's hitting just .162, Osmun is the Pirates' go-to attacker and leads the team with 4.00 kills/set.

Strength: Seton Hall makes the other team work for points. The Pirates have just 15 service errors this season, which is the lowest amount of the Lions' three weekend opponents.

Weakness: The Pirates have just 14 total blocks, which equates to just 1.1 blocks/set. Seton Hall's back row could be busy if the blockers aren't more effective.

Bottom Line: Penn State wins, 3-0.

Saturday at 10 a.m. vs. Colgate (2-1)

Player to Watch: Junior setter Blaire Safir- She has 57 assists on the season and is averaging nearly 1 kill/game for a team with no clear offensive standout.

Strength: They are efficient on the attack. Though it lacks height, the Colgate squad is hitting a respectable .234 as a team.

Weakness: Height. The tallest player is 6-foot-1. Unless Cathy Quilico is playing middle hitter, it should be tough for Colgate to match the Lions' height, but even Quilico might be able to come away with a kill or two.

Bottom Line: Penn State wins, 3-0.

Saturday at 7 p.m. vs. VCU (0-4)

Player to Watch: Senior middle hitter Kelsie Clegg- Her 19 kills don't lead the team, but Clegg has been a productive hitter (.304). At 6-foot-5, she's the tallest player the Lions will face all weekend.

Strength- The Rams are winless on the season, but they've faced some tough competition. They've taken a set from Ohio State and pushed Arizona State to five sets before falling to the Sun Devils. Don't expect them to be intimidated by Penn State.

Weakness- VCU has made errors this season in all aspects of the game. They have 28 service errors and are hitting just .125 as a team. They'll have to be sharper to have a chance.

Bottom Line: Penn State wins, 3-0.

-Ryan Loy. 

Soccer: Men's