Thirty kills, one player -- and her name is Simone Lee.
One of the most dominant hitters in the Big Ten, Lee set a Penn State record with that mark, recording the most kills in the 25-point rally-scoring era a week ago. More importantly, Lee's effort spearheaded the Nittany Lions' five-set victory over Minnesota, which went into State College as the top team in the nation.
Maybe it was payback for last November when Minnesota swept Penn State while the Nittany Lions were No. 1.
"Winning this match gives us a lot of momentum and helps show us we can do anything as long as we stick together and grind it out," said Lee, the espnW volleyball player of the week. "As long as we do it as a team, we're going to win tough matches."
Penn State improved from No. 15 to 10 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll and knocked Minnesota from No. 1 to 3.
The Nittany Lions trailed the Golden Gophers 11-3 to open the match, and Lee recalled an intense look from setter Abby Detering that got her pumped. "We are not losing this set," Detering insisted, and Penn State rallied for a 29-27 win.
"Something clicked in all of us," Lee said. "We don't spend hours and hours in the gym, we don't get in extra reps and do all the extra things that are necessary to be in a situation like that and lose."
Sets two and three went to Minnesota, but Lee said she wasn't remotely discouraged.
"It was crazy," she said. "We knew we had more in the tank, and even though we lost those two, we had enough momentum to carry us through the fourth and the fifth sets."
Penn State closed out the fourth 25-14 despite Minnesota starting out 7-2; the Nittany Lions hit nearly .600 in the fifth to win 15-10. Fittingly, a Lee kill closed it out.
Lee, also the Big Ten's offensive player of the week, added six digs and two blocks, hitting at a .333 clip. Her 4.20 kills per set leads the Big Ten, and the 30 kills are the most by any conference player this season. She added 11 more in a sweep of Rutgers on Saturday.
"She's been our top player through the first 15 matches," coach Russ Rose said about Lee.
The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, native has been patient at Penn State, seeing spot duty as a freshman and starting 18 of the team's 30 matches as a sophomore. With the graduation of elite players Megan Courtney and Aiyana Whitney, the 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter knew this season was her time.
"There's so many great players on this team," Lee said. "I just want to be another one. I want to be a teammate they can rely on in crunch time. "
Rose said Lee's greatest strength has been her ability to remain calm in times of turmoil -- and a refreshing attitude that leads to regular smiles and winks in the huddle, no matter the stakes.
A six-rotation player, Lee said she never dreamed she'd be a name, let alone a starter, on the Penn State roster. She played basketball first and didn't consider volleyball until her sister's club team needed a tall player to sub in. She was 13 at the time.
"I want to be a teammate they can rely on in crunch time." Simone Lee
She enjoyed it immediately and thought she had a better opportunity of playing volleyball in college than basketball. The 2013 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year is a natural leader and excelled in the academic decathlon as a high school junior.
Lee was one of nine students on a team that competed statewide in eight different categories ranging from art to math to science to music, all specific to the Roaring Twenties.
"I loved it because I love any kind of public speaking," said Lee, who is majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in African American studies.
Lee isn't shy about being vocal on the floor, either. She's brought energy no matter the record or the predicament this season. When Penn State (14-3) dropped three of its first five matches, she became more intense about correcting the mistakes that can sink a team in volleyball's top conference.
It is dedication that has paid off, as the Nittany Lions have rebounded to win 12 straight behind the Big Ten's top offense. At 6-0, they sit atop the conference alongside top-ranked Wisconsin.
"We're going to do great things," Lee said. "We're meshing so well. We're eating right, we're sleeping all the time, we're doing all the necessary things on and off the court to have a successful season, and I think we'll have one."