Russ Rose in 1987: “Denise is as good a middle back player as I’ve ever coached. I think she’s going to have an exceptional year. She works hard and always comes ready to play.”
Russ Rose Now (2026): “Denise was a great backrow player from Baldwin who played hard every day. She came into the program with Lisa Leap, Mary Rose Sava, Samantha Johns, Lisa Ferguson, and Izetta Phillips in 1984. That group had a tremendous impact on the culture of what we were doing because they stayed all four years and worked hard. It meant something to them to be a part of the team. She was a tenacious backrow player with a good serve and ball-handling skills.”
1984 Season (Freshman) Highlights and Awards: Letterwinner.
Season Recap:
Before Penn State: The only defensive specialist selected to the 1985 National Sports Festival East team … named Most Valuable Player on her Baldwin PA High School volleyball team … also competed in track with the mile and two-mile relay teams that finished 7th and 5th, respectively, in state competition … majoring in corporate fitness.