Starck making an immediate impact for Penn State

When Penn State recruited Izzy Starck, they knew they were getting one of the most promising players in the country, who had the potential to take their program to another level. What the Nittany Lions perhaps didn’t immediately realize was how quickly the setter was going to be able to make an impact for the team as they compete in the Big Ten women’s conference.

Currently in second place in the Big Ten with six wins and showcasing a 16-1 win record for the season, the seven-time national champions have two more matches in front of them this week, visiting Ohio State on Friday and hosting Minnesota on Sunday. The second duel, set to start at 14:00 local time (17:00 GMT), will be streamed live for VBTV subscribers around the world.

• Watch the Big Ten Conference matches live and on demand on VBTV

One of just two freshmen to be a part of Penn State’s roster, Starck has shown what she’s about since the start, working hard in the gym and the weight room to be able to add to the team in her first season as a Nittany Lion.

“I think Izzy is a phenomenal player and I think she's going to do great,” head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said. “But it's always learning, it's always a learning curve. Whether you're a freshman or a senior, I think these guys are still learning some new things about the game. I thought she had a great spring, and did a really good job in the weight room this summer. I am looking forward to seeing what she is going to do.”

Setters typically take a little bit longer to adapt to volleyball at the collegiate level as a lot, including the pace of the game and the size and power of the hitters, change significantly from what they were used to at the high school level.

That wasn’t the case with Starck, who probably benefited from her international experience, having represented the United States at the 2023 FIVB U20 World Championship and two editions of the U19 Pan American Cup. In just a few months, she already collected three Big Ten Freshman of the Week and one Setter of the Week awards this season. Starck also ranks fourth in the Big Ten in assists (586) and third in assists per set (10.85).

“It's a hard role to take on as a freshman just coming in and being a starter, let alone being the freshman setter,” graduate student outside hitter Jess Mruzik reflected. “She has done such a good job, she never complains, never talks about it. She just loves her role, loves her job, and she loves learning, which I think is super cool, because as a freshman you do have a lot of learning to do.”

One factor that probably helped Starck integrate into the team and that’s certainly a nice bonus in her collegiate volleyball experience is the presence of her older sister Angelina, who’s a senior outside hitter, in Penn State's squad.

With an elite setter, who will only get better, Penn State hope to be back in the National Championship and hopefully win another title after ten years.

“I think that Izzy is a phenomenal player, whether she's a freshman or four years down the road when she's a senior,” said graduate outside hitter Camryn Hannah. “I think she's come in and she's taken on her role commandingly, and I love to watch her grow and learn us as players as well as learning how to communicate with us because we're older than her. That's kind of awkward sometimes, but we're trying to push her to be more vocal and be herself on the court because that's what's going to help us get to those National Championship games.”

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