Russ Rose Then (1990): “Salima will be the next setter at Penn State. She’s a great athlete and a true leader, and I’m confident she’ll do a great job for us.”
Russ Rose Now (2026): “Salima had so many different roles while she was at Penn State. As a player, from the first time she came in, she always had that smile. She always had a swagger to her game. She had long arms and very large hands, and she was a natural leader — and not just for the volleyball program, but for women’s athletics and Penn State at that time. After she was here, she went to Captain the national team, and since then has spent a great deal of time in the coaching world, some of it at Oregon State and Pitt, and at Penn State. At present, she’s the head coach at Notre Dame.”
1990 Season (Redshirt Season) Season Recap: 1990 was a redshirt season for Salima Davidson, as she spent the year as All-American setter Michelle Jaworski’s understudy.
Before Penn State: A letterwinner in three sports at Penn Hills HS, Davidson earned first-team all state, all-section and all-league honors … two time MVP at the Keystone State Games … starred at forward on the Penn Hills state chan1pionship basketball team … also competed in track.
