Penn St., 102-game win streak return

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State women's volleyball team is getting ready to put its 102-match winning streak on the line.

The Nittany Lions, who have won three straight national titles, are ranked No. 1 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll. Their streak is the second-longest in Division I team sports, behind the 137 straight victories by the Miami men's tennis program in 1957-1964.

Penn State coach Russ Rose said at preseason media day Wednesday his players shouldn't enter their first match Friday thinking they're the best team in the country.

He's worried about how the Nittany Lions will overcome the losses of top players Megan Hodge and Alisha Glass, as well as a left knee injury to key returnee Darcy Dorton.

"I don't think it's justified of course, we haven't done anything," he said. "Maybe people thought Megan and Alisha were coming back for a fifth year and then we'd be a more relevant candidate for that."

The team has nine freshmen on the roster year, and the veterans are aware that the rookies will face pressure to produce.

"Absolutely there's pressure on them, and on all of us," senior defensive specialist Cathy Quilico said. "Every year coach has said this is a new team. He's our biggest enemy. Everybody knows that he's going to make us feel like we're awful so we work that much harder in practice."

Penn State, which opens Friday against North Carolina, hasn't lost since falling to Stanford on Sept. 15, 2007.

Rose predicted the beginning of this season could be tough in part because of the youth on his team, though he added that kind of start could encourage them to improve and peak in November and December, when the stakes are much higher.

"I think we concentrate on this team and making this team better throughout the season," senior middle hitter Blair Brown said.