Gwen Oberlin was just the kind of scrappy player Slippery Rock University volleyball coach Laurie Lokash was looking for.

Lokash recruited Oberlin from Grove City High School three years ago to anchor the back row as the libero.

With that taken care of, Lokash could address the weakness that had plague The Rock for years, namely attackers at the net.

"She's the quarterback in the back row," Lokash said of Oberlin. "She's a very even-keel kid. There's no up and down, no roller coaster emotions with here. That's what you need."

Oberlin leads The Rock with 272 digs this season and she has played in 65 of the 67 games for Slippery Rock, which is off to a 14-5 start.

But perhaps more importantly, SRU is 2-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The previous two years, the team had won just one PSAC-West match, going 1-8 last year and 0-10 in 2003.

"The biggest difference this year is we have some big hitters," Lokash said. "Is Gwen the type of kid we wanted to attract? Yes. With her in the back row, our defense is still solid. Now we have some attackers to finish off some points."

Oberlin, who stands just 5 feet tall in a sport dominated by girls much taller, is content to clean up the mess in the back row.

It's something she has always excelled at, from club volleyball teams to the Grove City High School team.

Oberlin help the Eagles post an 84-11 record in her four years as a starter. She holds the school record for service points with 373 and was on the Grove City team that went 23-5 and within a hair of winning a state title in 2002.

For the first time since she was at Grove City High School, the junior at SRU feels that same dominant feeling.

"We're looking pretty good," Oberlin said. "We have a lot of net players and they are a real good group. They are making a huge impact for us."

Oberlin said the attitude on the team has changed as well.

"We want to win so badly," Oberlin said. "No one is selfish like maybe in years past. We're playing as a team."

Oberlin is a key on the team as the last line of defense.

In the back row, she keeps points alive and finds herself flopping on the floor to save points a lot in the college game.

"She's like the energize bunny," Lokash said. "She's always going."

Oberlin likes it that way.

The secret to her success is anticipation. Volleyballs are struck so hard in her direction, she said she has to predict where they are going to be hit sometimes before they are struck.

"You have to read the hitters," Oberlin said. "That's the toughest part."

Oberlin said a libero also has to have a short memory.

"You have to shake off mistakes," Oberlin said. "Good hitters are going to get one past you. It just happens. You just have to bound back."

The Rock will learn a lot about what kind of team it has in the coming weeks.

SRU faces begins a heavy dose of PSAC-West foes starting Oct. 4 against California (Pa.) University.

Oberlin is happy to be part of the SRU volleyball turnaround in the conference, even though the verdict is still out.

"It's really nice to see this happening," Oberlin said. "We're working really hard. Hopefully, we can continue it."