Russ Rose Then (2002): “Hilary is a multi-purpose player for us because if we need to put Hilary in as a hitter, we can do that. She was one of the top hitters when she came out of high school. The libero position is truly custom made for Hilary, as it’s an opportunity for her to pass and be involved in all of the plays. It’s a great opportunity for her to play defense and demonstrate her quickness and volleyball savvy. She is a very bright girl both in the classroom and off the court. What I think is important is that Hilary has a solid year from a leadership standpoint, along with keeping her game at a high level. As the libero, you need to be focused and be a player that is ready to play every rally and not get caught up in any of the distractions that normally can be thrown your way. A great deal of our success will depend on Hilary’s performance.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Hilary was an explosive, fast twitch player. I loved how hard Hilary hit the ball. I mean, back when she was in club volleyball, there’d be a big crowd watching her court when she was playing because of how dynamic she was. She jumped so well, so she kind of gave hope to the shorter people. She had long arms. like her dad, she could pass very well, she was a terrific defensive player, and she was a very strong attacker. She’s still giving back as a high school and club coach.”
2002 Season (Senior) Highlights and Awards:Academic All-Big Ten.
Season Recap: Played in 74 of 112 sets and 23 of 33 matches … her average of 3.20 digs/set led the team, while her total of 237 digs ranked 3rd … averaged 0.74 assists/set, good for 3rd best on the team … one of the top passers/defensive players on the Nittany Lion squad … posted 10 kills, 9 digs and career-best six blocks in season opening win vs. Villanova (8/31) … posted 5 kills and 9 digs vs. Loyola [Md.] [9/1] … recorded 4 kills and 12 digs in 5-game win over North Carolina [9/1] … tallied first double-double of season with 11 kills and 11 digs vs. Stanford [9/4] … recorded 7 digs vs. Indiana [9/21] … tallied 7 digs vs. Illinois [9/22] … notched 8 digs at No. 15 Ohio State [9/26] … recorded 8 kills and hit .389 overall vs. Purdue [9/29] … tallied 2 kills and 5 digs at Wisconsin [ 10/5] … posted 6 digs at Northwestern [ 10/6) recorded 2 kills and 3 digs vs. Youngstown State [ 10/9) … finished with 5 digs vs. Minnesota [10/12] … tallied 7 digs vs.lowa [10/13] … tallied 3 digs at Michigan State [10/23) … finished with 7 digs at Michigan [ 10/20] … recorded 5 digs and an ace vs. Northwestern [ 10/26) … totaled 12 digs in 5-game win over No. 5 Wisconsin [ 10/2] … tallied 3 digs vs. Ohio State [ 10/31 J … totaled 7 digs and a service ace at Purdue [ 11/2) … had 11 digs and 2 aces at Illinois [ 11/9] … posted 10 digs in 3-1 win over Indiana [11/10] … tallied 13 digs in five-game win over Michigan [ 11/16) … saw action in all 4 games vs. Michigan State, recording 8 digs … notched 5 digs in 3-game win over Iowa [ 11/23] … had 12 digs in 5-game win at Minnesota [ 11/24].
NCAA Tournament: Tallied six digs in the 3 game NCAA First Round win over Fairfield [ 11/30] … had 5 digs in the 3 game loss to UCLA in the NCAA Second Round [ 12/1].
Before Penn State: Lettered two years at Crystal Lake Central before transferring to Prairie Ridge High School, where she was a two-year starter and captain; a “Fab 50” selection by Volleyball Magazine; Chicago Tribune second-team All State honoree; named Player of the Year by the Northwest Herald; voted All-area by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Sexton Plays Volleyball With Reckless Abandon,” The Daily Collegian, Sept. 20, 2001
“Out to prove the critics wrong,” The Daily Collegian, Nov. 9, 2000
“Sexton shines in relief” — The Daily Collegian, Oct. 7, 1999
