Maryland volleyball assistant coach Kristen Carpenter doesn’t think facing Penn State will ever be normal.
When the No. 3 Nittany Lions enter the Xfinity Center main court Saturday, Carpenter will be on the opposite bench of her long-time coach Russ Rose for the first time in her career.
Carpenter played as a setter and defensive specialist for Penn State from 2009 to 2012, winning two national championships in the process.
Maryland coach Steve Aird hasn’t reached the heights of Rose, who hasn’t posted a losing record in his 38 seasons at the helm, but the Terps are off to their best start since 2005.
“I’m excited because I think we’re getting better, but it is weird,” Carpenter said. “A big piece of me is in State College but I’m a turtle through and through now, so it’s going to be an experience, an adventure, for sure.”
Along with Carpenter, Aird and associate head coach Adam Hughes hold connections with the Nittany Lions. Aird played for Penn State and served as an assistant coach and director of operations there before joining the Terps. Hughes spent nine seasons coaching in Happy Valley and grew up in the area.
Despite four seasons in College Park, Aird roots for Penn State in the other 18 conference matches it plays, and he said the best part of facing his old team is when it’s over. The Nittany Lions’ seniors make up the last class Aird and Hughes were a part of securing before taking over Maryland’s first season in the Big Ten.
Carpenter, meanwhile, looks forward to seeing her former coach again.
“This is a man that’s known me since I was 12 years old,” Carpenter said of Rose. “That whole staff recruited me. Of course, I know them and I love them, but I’d still like to beat them.”
Aird has stockpiled former Penn State personnel since taking over, but he hasn’t built an exact replica of the Nittany Lions.
Maryland hasn’t had a winning season since 2012. Penn State has captured two national titles over that span.
Beyond on-court success, Aird, Hughes and Carpenter have brought their favorite aspects of Rose’s coaching technique to the program. However, Carpenter said the coaches have also added their own personalities to the team.
The only similarity between how things are run in State College and College Park, Carpenter said, is the squad’s work ethic.
“We know what’s made Russ the best in the country for [38] years, and I try to emulate a lot of the stuff he does,” Aird said. “And the number-one thing is just how hard he works. … As much as Maryland folk might dislike the Penn State thing, in our sport, they’re the gold standard.”
While playing at home on Saturday might temper the coaching staff’s emotions, the Terps’ matchup with the Nittany Lions in Rec Hall on Nov. 11 could pose a different challenge.
Aird remembers being struck by emotions in his return to Penn State after becoming Maryland’s coach as he walked into the locker room he once used to dress for practice. Carpenter may encounter similar feelings when it’s her turn to reenter the facility.
More than 1,000 tickets have already been sold for Saturday night’s matchup, giving credence to the decision to play on Xfinity’s main floor.
Aird expects some nostalgia before the contest. But when the first serve is struck, those recollections will be pushed aside.
“The best way you can respect Russ and the Penn State program is to compete like crazy,” Aird said. “That’s what’ll make him the most proud of all three of us, and that’s certainly our goal.”
