Ethan suggested the following exercise: Create an 18-person Penn State roster, using only players who played on at least one National Championship team, and without regard to position — other than that there must be at least one of each of the following: OH, MB, RS/OPP, Setter, and Libero. I’ve taken a first crack at the exercise, which is reflected in the table below. All the players’ names are linked to their Player Profiles on the DigNittanyVolleyball website:
1999 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2007 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2008 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2009 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2010 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2013 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2014 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
2024 PSU Roster – DigNittanyVolleyball.com
The players are listed in the table chronologically, not by who was the “best.” I’m hopeful some kind soul will put up a poll adding other qualifying players (there are many who deserved mention, but I was limited to 18 under Ethan’s (quite reasonable) rules.
A final note: even if all these players were actually available right now, and there were no players on Penn State’s current roster, obviously they wouldn’t all come to Penn State at the same time — or at least, wouldn’t all stay. Oddly, players like to play.
| # | Name | Pos | Ht | Championship Years | Top Awards -- Championship Season(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Cacciamani, Lauren | MB | 6-02 | 01/1999 | Honda Volleyball Award Winner … NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player … AVCA All-American … Academic All-American … Academic All-Big Ten … Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year … Big Ten Player of the Year |
| 03 | Bremner, Bonnie | Setter | 5-09 | 01/1999 | Academic All-American … AVCA All-American … NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team … Academic All-Big Ten … All-Big Ten First Team |
| 10 | Schumacher, Katie | RS/Opp | 6-00 | 01/1999 | Volleyball Magazine All-American … AVCA All-Region … All-Big Ten First Team |
| 01 | Fawcett, Nicole | OH | 6-04 | 02/2007 03/2008 | 2007 Season (Junior): AVCA First Team All-America ... NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team ... unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2008 Season (Senior): Honda Sports Award Volleyball Player of the Year ... AVCA National Player of the Year ... Big Ten Player of the Year |
| 03 | Harmotto, Christa | MB | 6-02 | 02/2007 03/2008 | 2007 Season (Junior): Honda Award Finalist … AVCA First Team All-America … NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team … Big Ten Player of the Year 2008 Season (Senior): AVCA First Team All-American ...2nd consecutive Honda Award nomination |
| 06 | Glass, Alisha | Setter | 6-00 | 02/2007 03/2008 04/2009 | 2007 Season (Sophomore): AVCA Second Team All-America … NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team … First Team All-Big Ten 2008 Season (Junior): AVCA First Team All-America … NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team … Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2009 Season (Senior): AVCA All-American ... First Team All-Big Ten |
| 05 12 | D’Errico, Alyssa | Libero | 5-09 | 02/2007 03/2008 04/2009 05/2010 | 2009 Season (Junior): Academic All-Big Ten … Active Ankle Challenge All-Tournament Team (8/29) … Duke Invitational Most Outstanding Libero (9/12) 2010 Season (Senior): 2010 All-Big Ten honorable mention |
| 07 | Wilson, Arielle | MB | 6-03 | 02/2007 03/2008 04/2009 05/2010 | 2007 Season (Freshman): NCAA University Park Regional Most Outstanding Player ... Big Ten Freshman of the Year 2008 Season (Sophomore): AVCA Second Team All-America … First Team AVCA All-Mideast Region … Academic All-Big Ten … First Team All-Big Ten 2009 Season (Junior): AVCA First Team All-American … NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team … NCAA Regional Championship All-Tournament Team … AVCA First Team All-Mideast Region … First Team All-Big Ten 2010 Season (Senior): AVCA First Team All-American ... First Team All-Big Ten |
| 11 | Hodge, Megan | OH | 6-03 | 02/2007 03/2008 04/2009 | 2007 Season (Sophomore): Honda Award Finalist … NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player … AVCA First Team All-America … Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2008 Season (Junior): AVCA First Team All-America … NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player … NCAA Regional Chapionship Most Outstanding Player … Academic All-Big Ten … Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2009 Season (Senior): Honda Sports Award Volleyball winner ... co-winner of the Honda-Broderick Cup, awarded to the nation's top female collegiate athlete ... AVCA First Team All-American |
| 04 | Holehouse, Roberta | Libero | 5-08 | 02/2007 03/2008 | 2007 Season (Junior): Academic All-Big Ten 2008 Season (Senior): Nittany Lion Invitational All-Tournament ... Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. |
| 09 | Brown, Blair | RS/Opp | 6-05 | 02/2007 03/2008 04/2009 05/2010 | 2007 Season (Redshirt Freshman): Big Ten All-Freshman Team 2008 Season (Redshirt Sophomore): AVCA Second Team All-America … NCAA Regional Championship All-Tournament Team … First Team AVCA All-Mideast Region 2009 Season (Redshirt Junior): AVCA First Team All-America . . . NCAA Regional Championship All-Tournament Team … AVCA First Team All-Mideast Region … Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten 2010 Season (Redshirt Senior): Honda Sports Award for Volleyball … AVCA First Team All American … NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team … Big Ten Player of the Year |
| 18 | McClendon, Deja | OH | 6-01 | 06/2013 | 2013 Season (Senior): Preseason All-Big Ten honoree |
| 12 | Hancock, Micha | Setter | 5-11 | 06/2013 07/2014 | 2013 Season (Junior): NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player ... AVCA First Team All-America ... Big Ten Setter of the Year ... First Team All-Big Ten 2014 Season (Senior): AVCA National Player of the Year … AVCA First-Team All-America … All-Big Ten (unanimous ... Finalist -- Honda Sports Award for Volleyball |
| 17 | Courtney, Megan | OH | 6-02 | 06/2013 07/2014 | 2013 Season (Sophomore): Preseason All-Big Ten 20014 Season (Junior): Academic All-Big Ten … NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player … Penn State Classic All Tournament Team … Preseason All-Big Ten. |
| 05 | Frantti, Ali | OH | 6-01 | 07/2014 | 2014 Season (Freshman): AVCA DI National Freshman of the Year … Second Team AVCA All-American … AVCA All-Northeast Region Freshman of the Year … AVCA All-Northeast Region … All-Big Ten honorable mention … All-Big Ten Freshman team (unanimous) |
| 15 | Washington, Haleigh | MB | 6-03 | 07/2014 | 2014 Season (Freshman): Big Ten Freshman of the Year … All-Big Ten … All-Big Ten Freshman Team (unanimous) … Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team |
| 09 | Mruzik, Jess | OH | 6-01 | 08/2024 | 2024 Season (Graduate) NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player ... NCAA State College Regional Most Outstanding Player … AVCA First-Team All-American … First Team All-Big Ten |
| 21 | Starck, Izzy | Setter | 6-01 | 08/2024 | 2024 Season (Freshman): AVCA National Freshman of the Year, AVCA East Coast Region Freshman of the Year ... Big Ten Freshman of the Year … Second Team AVCA All-American … First Team All-Big Ten ... Big Ten All-Freshman Team |