The Lady Lions are returning seven of their top-eight leading scorers from last year heading into Carolyn Kieger's third season.
While a program the caliber of Penn State should have no business counting "moral victories", the valiant effort showed the three-loss team could compete with the nation's best.
Saturday's loss to Illinois marked the sixth time in James Franklin's eight-year tenure that his squad has suffered back-to-back losses in the same campaign.
"He's one of the most selfless guys on the team. He really puts the team above himself."
The pro-style prospect's talented arm has led Medina High School to a perfect 9-0 record so far this season.
A strong offensive output from Ally Schlegel powered the Nittany Lions to its fourth ranked victory of the season.