The Penn State athletic program as a whole has garnered a lot of negative media attention of late. But one person that fans of the university and alumni can be proud of is Christa Harmotto who will compete with the U.S. women's volleyball team during the 2012 Olympic games in London.
A native of Hopewell Township, Pa., Harmotto was originally a basketball player according to a TimesOnline.com feature, and didn't take up volleyball until the seventh grade. But once she did, the accolades followed and after high school, she earned an athletic scholarship and went on to star at Penn State:
Harmotto was a prodigy at Hopewell High School, earning an arm's length of accolades (which included 2005 Times Female Athlete of the Year) and a scholarship to powerful Penn State. She was a two-time All-American and two-time national champion with the Nittany Lions before receiving an invitation to join the U.S. national team.
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