Russ Rose Then (2004): “Suzie is a player from the Chicago area that identified Penn State as a school that she wanted to attend. She was a member of a very successful high school team and will be one of our back row substitutes. I’m optimistic that she will pick up what the needs are to play that position and be able to fill in a role with the team.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Susie came in and worked extremely hard. She was somewhat limited as a player, but she had great tenacity and incredible leadership skills. I remember during her freshman year we were flying commercial to a match and we had a problem with the ticketing. Susie comes over to me, and she goes, ‘Coach, do you want me to go over there and handle it?’ She was 18 years old, and she was going to go over to the counter and take care of everything for the 25 of us in our travel party. And I remember telling the story to her dad, who ran a family business, and he said ‘You know, I have two sons and a daughter, and I’m 100% sure that my daughter’s going to be leading this company in the future.’ And he was right. She’s a superstar. She continued to live with teammates throughout her time at Penn State. She was always part of the program even though she didn’t play anymore. I know Susie is doing a great job, as a mother of 3 because she’s bright, conscientious, and an incredibly hard worker who doesn’t take shortcuts. Those are all skills that can aid you in leading any type of organization.”
2004 Season (Freshman): Played in 8 sets for the season, recording 1 dig. She retired from collegiate volleyball after the 2004 season … graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain and Information Systems from the Smeal College of Business, and subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Before Penn State: Two-time letterwinner in volleyball at St. Francis High School in Wheaton, Illinois; led the Spartans to a combined record of 75-11 and two Illinois state championships duing her junior and senior seasons; during senior season, led the squad to a first-place finish at the Maine West Pumpkin Tournament, and a second-place finish at the Nike Challenge, defeating Mira Costa along the way; team wa ranked 21st in the nation during senior season; three-year National Honor Society member; two-time academic All-Suburban Catholic conference; recipient of the 2004 School Religion Award.