Opening Statement: Russ Rose (Head Coach) -
“We’re excited to be one of two teams remaining still playing this volleyball season and we’re looking forward to playing against a great opponent in Stanford who we had a great match with earlier in the year. It’s nice that the champions of the Pac-10 and the Big 10 have a chance to play in this venue with a lot of people watching both in the stands and around the country. It’s an exciting opportunity and I’m sure our players are looking forward to participating.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) – On playing Stanford a second time this season
“I think it’s always a brand new match when you’re in the tournament. We played Michigan for a third time but the match had a totally different feel to it because they were playing with such confidence because they had just upset Colorado State as well as the fact that we had gone on a four-game match with them a week earlier. All the matches have sort of a different value to them as you progress through the tournament. I think the Stanford match (earlier this year) came when we were on a three-week venture where we ended up playing the top three teams in the country. When we put the schedule together we wanted to play the best teams to get a good idea of where we were. I knew heading into the season that those were some of the top teams. The match (vs. Stanford) was a good match. It was the first match where Ari (Wilson) played middle for us and that was kind of her coming out match. I thought at that point in time it was obvious she was a player we had to have on the floor. I was vacillating on whether or not she should redshirt at that point in time. I think we’ve made a lot of progress in different areas since then but I would anticipate that Stanford has made a lot of progress as well. Watching them play I thought earlier in the year that Alix Klineman wasn’t as healthy but I thought she looked great last night and her and Foluke were playing at an incredibly high level last evening.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) – On Penn State having a 3-0 semifinal vs. Stanford having a 3-2 semifinal
“I think the benefit would be I’d rather be in an easy match and win than be in a tough match and lose. Or be in a tough match and have the kids be struggling. At this part of the season we’ve played 34, 35 matches and I think the players are better off in a shorter match. I don’t go into a match and say let’s either win in three or lose in three. John (Dunning) has had lots of experience in big matches and his team has had great success the last few years in the championships as well as in the Pac-10 and I’m sure his players will be healthy and ready to go, and our players should be focused and ready to go as well. I don’t look at it as anyone really has an advantage versus a disadvantage. They had a couple hours more sleep. We were playing a match last night that started at midnight (our time) and to me that’s a lot more of a factor than they played five games and we played three. If they want to play a match at midnight they can go play it and then get back to us and let us know how it feels.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) – On having six of 12 first team All-Americans on the floor tomorrow night
“I think part of the selections for All-Americans is not only based on how they do throughout the season but also how their teams advance throughout the season. There’s a lot of players that have great performances for their teams but their teams don’t advance so their players don’t get recognized. I think in this case I’m not looking at it as a match-up thing. To me it’s not a race. Both teams will have a game plan and our game plan is based on trying to win the match. Our game plan is not trying to stop or neutralize any of the great talent they have. I’ve been at Penn State 29 years and I’ve been playing against Stanford a lot of those years, more so than a lot of teams, and they always have great talent and they always play the game well. They’ve always been great-spirited matches.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) – On Penn State meeting Stanford for a third time in the National Championship
“I don’t think there’s any historical thing. It’s a different team. Some of these players weren’t even in high school the first time we were playing them. It seems like 10 or 15 years ago we were playing them. So for me, I remember doing it, but these guys, 15 years ago I don’t even want to know what they were wondering. For us it’s just great to have a chance to be playing against a great time. It was nice (last night vs. Cal) to be playing against a team that had similar statistics in their conference as we did. People were pointing out that they were leading their conference in blocking and in service aces and I’m like well, we’re similar in those things and we can match some of those statistical challenges. This will be match where they have some experience in this (National Championship) match more so than we do, but we have put our time in and we feel we deserve to be here. I don’t think there was ever a time where this group didn’t feel like there was something special they could accomplish even though it was pushing, screaming and fighting most of the way. I’m happy that they’re here and I hope they’re enjoying the experience while they’re here.”
Kate Price (Senior Outside Hitter) – On what the team gained from playing and losing to Stanford earlier this year
“I think it was a learning experience. Obviously after you have a loss you have to get something out of it and I think it was just the fact that we had to fight through long games like that and understand what it takes to win a five-game match against a great team.”
Alisha Glass (Sophomore Setter) - On what the team gained from playing and losing to Stanford earlier this year
“I think that like Kate said we had to take some things away from that match. I think when you schedule those teams and get to look at some of the top teams in the country, you get to gauge where you are. I think that was a stepping stone earlier in the season and we got to see where we were and I think we’ve come a long way since then. I’m excited to see them.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) - On what the team gained from playing and losing to Stanford earlier this year
“From a coaching standpoint, if you have a good team you owe it to the team to play the best teams. I think it’s a disservice to have a great team run the table and get to the tournament and not do well because you were never tested against the top competition. We were disappointed when we lost to Nebraska and we were disappointed when we lost to Stanford. We were maybe a little more disappointed in the loss to Stanford because there were times in that match where we were playing well and we had some control. But that’s what I really like about being at Penn State, they don’t say to me ‘boy, it’d be really nice if you guys were undefeated, we could really pump up attendance if you guys weren’t losing so don’t go play the good teams.’ They let me schedule who I want and where we can go play so I try to schedule a lot of the top teams. There’s a lot of the top teams you call and they don’t want to play. They say ‘sure, we’ll play you in 2009.’ I’m not buying green bananas, you know what I’m saying? We have a good team and I want them to play the best teams we can. If we win we win and if we don’t win we know what we need to get better at. I tell the kids when they come to Penn State that they’re going to get better. I don’t ever tell them we’ll win the conference and we’ll do this and that. I say, ‘you’re going to get better.’ In return I want them to play hard.
Alisha Glass (Sophomore Setter) – On what weapons she has as a setter
“I would consider myself lucky in that we have a lot of options offensively and the one advantage to that is you play a team that is strong in of two areas in terms of blocking and defense so when you can mix it up and try to go away from their strengths, it’s kind of an advantage. If one night we want to go off in the middle we can and we have players that can go off from there, and if another night the match is best for the outsides than we can do that. So it’s definitely lucky I guess you could say, and it’s a lot of fun sometimes.”
Alisha Glass (Sophomore Setter) - On what improvements the team and you have made over the season
“I think when we played Stanford the first time we got an understanding of what it was going to be like, and from each match on we wanted to improve as a team and really understand what that means. I think we struggled along the way with that and our focus tomorrow night is to be the best team we can be when we go out there. Because when we do play together it’s a lot of fun and I think we scare people sometimes with what we can do. We’re going to have fun and we’re going to be better than when we played Stanford the first time.
Personally, I think after the (Stanford) match, it was kind of a rough patch for me personally, and I wasn’t starting. I focused a lot on coming into the gym and working with our coaches and trying to improve on my all around game. When I can make an impact on a lot of areas of the game I feel like I can lead my team better.”
Kate Price (Senior Outside Hitter) - On what improvements you have made over the season
“I would say being next to certain people and getting better at passing and being comfortable. I try to talk to my teammates as much as possible and make sure they’re having fun and keeping their spirits high I would say is my personal contribution.”
Kate Price (Senior Outside Hitter) – On the mental state of the team right now
“I’d say we’re a very confident group of people. I don’t think we’re over-confident. I think we know what we have to do and we’re just anxious to start. We want to get on with the match, I wish it was here today.”
Alisha Glass (Sophomore Setter) – On the mental state of the team right now
“There’s a lot of excitement. There isn’t a player on our team that’s been here before and we want to do it true to our style, which is crazy and excitable and fun to watch sometimes. When we bring that to the table it can be a lot of fun. Even last night we were screaming in the back parts while we were warming up on the sport court outside the gym, and the other team is probably going ‘we haven’t even stepped out on the court.’ We just want to be out there and having fun and look like we’re enjoying ourselves like we have all season.”
Kate Price (Senior Outside Hitter) – On which Stanford players will give the team problems
“I wouldn’t say there’s a player on the team that I don’t respect. There’s Foluke, who’s a great middle and she hit really well yesterday so you have to honor their middles. They have two great outside hitters also and then a great setter. So I wouldn’t say there’s a player that we don’t have to watch out for. I would say we have to prepare for all of them.”
Alisha Glass (Sophomore Setter) – On which Stanford players will give the team problems
“I would agree with Kate. Stanford is a great team and they have a lot of players and it shows their versatility. You have to respect them from all areas and you have to understand there’s the ability for any one of them to go off. Last night Foluke went off and was getting set almost every ball and they didn’t seem to stop her, so that was her night. Could she have that again Saturday? We don’t know but you can’t assume that any one person is going to go off, you just have to be ready to handle whatever comes at you.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) – On which Stanford players will give the team problems
“I think the top teams are there because of their balance as well as their ability to highlight one or two players throughout the course of the season or in the championships. There are some teams that get hot in the NCAA’s that have the ability to upset teams because they have one or two players that go for big evenings. But the goal should be to win. What we need, and that’s why these two players (are here next to me), I think these two have the most impact in controlling the leadership and the emotions on our team right now. To me, if they do their jobs we’ll be successful. I don’t think you stop great players on great programs that are doing well. I think you try to neutralize some of the other people and do the things you do well and hope on that given day that you’re playing well and playing together.”
Russ Rose (Head Coach) – On the characteristics of John Dunning’s teams
“When John was at Pacific he had a little different talent that he has now at Stanford, but his teams always play hard. They have great enthusiasm and they play well together. He’s a bright guy and he seems to be very patient and calm with his team and I think they play that way. They don’t seem to have a lot of the emotional highs. I think our team gets a little crazier and I think it serves us well. They should be a little crazy. What a great time. What a great place to be. There’s no pressure on them. They’re 18-20 year old female athletes that have an opportunity to compete for a national championship and it would be foolish for somebody to tell them to calm down.”
