Russ Rose Then (1999): “Leilani has great experience and played very well last year. We’re going to need a little more from her as she goes into her junior year. She’s an exceptional server and her court sense is good. We need to make sure that she continues to have the opportunity to contribute.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Leilani was kind of our ace in the hole because she was our top server. She had a great serve, and would come in and serve multiple times every game, and was never afraid to go back and serve tough. It’s not easy to come off the bench and come in and make a difference. It wasn’t just that she was serving the ball in, she was our best server. She also was a very good passer and defensive player. She was a major contributor to our success.”
1999 Season (Junior): Honors and Awards: 1999 National Champion.
Season Recap: Played in 35 of 37 matches (starting 2) and 102 of 125 sets … averaged 1.35 digs/set, ranking 8th on the team … one of the top back row players off the bench … earned 2nd start of season at 20th-ranked Minnesota where she recorded a match-high 12 digs … had a tough serve that threw opponents off all season, registering 30 aces … had 3 digs and one ace against Florida (8/27/99) in the opener … came off the bench to spark the Lion defense with 6 digs and 2 aces in win over No. 8 Texas (9/ 17) … did same thing the following night, adding another 7 digs … racked up 10 digs with 3 aces and 1 assist at Michigan State (9/24) … started against No. 20 Michigan (9/25), registering 3 digs and an ace in the sweep … served up 3 aces in win over Illinois (10/1) … tallied 4 digs with 1 assist and a pair of aces in 2 sets at No. 24 Wisconsin (10/16 ) … recorded 3 digs, 2 aces and an assist in the 4-set win over Wisconsin (11/26).
NCAA Tournament: Opened the NCAA tournament with 1 dig, 1 ace and an assist against Robert Morris ( 12/3)… played sets against Baylor ( 12/4), where she had a dig and an ace … against Minnesota (12/9), Schlottfeldt collected 13 digs … her serve baffled UClA ( 12/10) where she got 2 aces to go with 3 assists and a pair of digs … notched a career-high 18 digs in NCAA semi-final match against Pacific (12/16) with 2 aces and an assist … played in all 3 sets of the national championship match vs. Stanford (12/18) where she had 4 digs and an assist.
Before Penn State: Colegio Modelo High School. Played for her allstate team in Brazil for five consecutive years; twice named the best defensive player on the squad; her team won the National Championship tournament twice; four-time state champion. Born May 23, 1976 in Honolulu Hawaii.
“Schlottfeldt ends career as a PSU Lion,” The Daily Collegian, Nov. 21, 2000
“Women’s volleyball seniors reflect on success, memories,” The Daily Collegian, Nov. 30, 1999
“Background check,” The Daily Collegian, Oct. 5, 1999
