Sarah Ballek joins the Lion's front row

Hazleton, Pa. - Hazleton Nittany Lion Volleyball gets a boost to the front row attack with the arrival of Pleasant Valley High School graduate Sarah Ballek. Ballek, a resident of Effort, Pa. joins the Hazleton squad for the upcoming season after four years on the varsity squad with the Bears. During that time, Ballek helped Pleasant Valley to a of pair Eastern Pennsylvania Conference North Division titles, and during her senior year Ballek totaled 101 kills, 70 blocks and 19 aces, including a near 40 percent hitting percentage. For her high school career Sarah notched 246 kills, 183 blocks and 55 service aces. Along with her high school volleyball experience, Ballek utilized her skills as a jumper for the track and field team at Pleasant Valley and continued her volleyball development with Quickset Volleyball Club in the offseason.

"Assistant Coach Fallabel and I are very excited to add a dynamic player like Sarah to the front row," said Head Coach Noel Kaufman. "She has a great ability to read the court and find holes and find holes in the defense."

Sarah came to Penn State after ranking in the top 10 percent of her class at Pleasant Valley and was a member of the National Honor Society. Ballek won several awards for physical education and was also named to the German and Musical Honor Societies. Sarah has always wanted to attend Penn State, and the opportunity to continue her volleyball career at Hazleton made the decision an easy one and she plans to pursue a degree in psychology while attending the university.