Russ Rose Then (1998): “I think Leilani is a player that we didn’t fully have the opportunity to take advantage of her experience last year.  I think she’ll have more opportunities this season to go in the back row and serve and play defense in the various positions and pass balls.  She’s a very good passer and especially with the rule change that allows you to take it overhand.  She was brought up that way, so she has great confidence to take the ball overhand and I think she’s going to be a valuable part of what we’re trying to do this year.  She performs all of the skills well.  She’s been on good teams in Brazil and made great contributions last year, and I’m hopeful that she’ll do even more this year.”

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.”

1997 Season Highlights: The only true freshman to see action in the 1997 season, Leilani Schlottfeldt proved to be a valuable member of Penn State’s back row platoon.  She appeared in 30-of-36 matches, playing in 49 sets; she recorded 30 digs on the season, tallying four digs in the 9/6 win over then-#3 Stanford; posted a career-high nine digs as Penn State topped #8 BYU on 8/22.

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