Russ Rose Then (1995): “My expectations for Heidi are very high. I think she should be able to pass two-thirds of the court and be a player that we can depend on offensively to keep the ball in play and create an opportunity to get a critical kill. She’s someone we need to step up offensively. There are not very many players that played in the championship match of the USVBA nationals for a national championship, and then again as a freshman played in the finals for an NCAA Division I championship in the same calendar year, so I think that demonstrates the positive contributions that Heidi possesses.”
1995 Season (Sophomore) Highlights and Awards: Academic All-Big Ten Academic … led the Big Ten in digs, posting 479 on the year for a 4.20/set average … was among 3 Lady Lions to finish in the top 3 in the conference in digs (Angie Kammer, 2nd, and Zeynep Ton, 3rd) and help Penn State lead the conference in the category for the 5th straight season.
Season Recap: Competed in all 35 matches and saw action in 114 of 116 sets … .. .She also proved to be a valuable offensive threat recording 178 kills on the season, 5th best on the team, and 32 service aces, 2nd on the team … posted double figure digs in 24 matches, getting more than 20 on 7 occasions, and posted a career high 26 digs against Michigan State (Oct. 21) … she also claimed career highs in kills, with 14 at Michigan (Nov. 18), and blocks, with 5 against Iowa (Oct. 7) … finished the season with 45 assists, 43 blocks and 542 attacks.
Before Penn State: At Columbus East HS, Rottinghaus left an indelible mark on the teams she participated on at the high school, club and national levels … was a Volleyball Monthly “Fab 50” selection and a 1992 First-Team All-State performer and a 2-time Hoosier Hills all-conference pick … chosen All-Area Player-of-the-Year by The Republic newspaper…a 4-year starter and letterwinner, Rottinghaus was selected to compete in the 1993 Indiana Coaches Association all star match … as a senior captain, she led Columbus East to the Final Four of the Indiana state tournament … voted the team’s MVP in 1991 and ’92, Rottinghaus was a sensational all-around player … while attending the Elite Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., she earned a spot on the 1992 U.S. Junior Olympic team and received the Judy Bellomo Memorial Scholarship … a 1989 AAU All American, she earned MVP honors at the University of Kentucky summer camp in 1991 … is a 6-year veteran of USVBA club competition … during the 4 years she spent with the Circle City Club in Indianapolis, Rottinghaus played on several USVBA title teams … was one of 6 athletes named First-Team All-America by the USVBA … a member of the National Honor Society, she ranked 9th in a class of 275 and made the honor roll in 8 semesters.
“Rottinghaus has seen and done it all in a year’s time,” The Daily Collegian, Oct. 26, 1995
