UNIVERSITY PARK -- It's a hectic, frenetic, wild, turbulent and just plain crazy time.

But the Penn State women's volleyball team wouldn't trade its upcoming trip to the Final Four for anything -- even if it means cramming a week's worth of final exams into a couple days, spending 12 hours traveling today and not having the entire team together for a practice until Wednesday.

"We're going to kind of be struggling with the distractions and excitement that is associated with it," Nittany Lion coach Russ Rose said. "But I think it's a good problem."

This is the third time in the last five years that Rose and Penn State have had to deal with this "good problem" of participating in the Final Four. The Nittany Lions lost in the championship match to Long Beach State in 1993 and were bounced by UCLA in the semifinals in 1994.

If Penn State is to win its first-ever women's volleyball national title in 1997, it will have to beat Florida at 9 p.m. Thursday and then the winner of the Stanford-Long Beach State contest at 3 p.m. Saturday.

"It's a nice position to be in, going to the Final Four," Rose said. "We won't have ample practice time, so I'm sure it will have to be an adrenaline- based preparation more than a physical-based one where you actually get in the gym."

Rose -- who has led the No. 2-ranked Nittany Lions to a 33-1 record, including 11 straight wins via the sweep -- said he tried to assemble the team for a practice Monday to little avail. With players studying or taking final exams, at no time could more than half of the starters be together at once, he said.

There won't be much chance to practice today, either. The team leaves at about 2 p.m. and arrives in Spokane, Wash. -- the site of the Final Four -- at about 3 a.m.

"It's safe to say that's not a day we can get anything done," Rose said. "And then on Wednesday, it'll just be the strangest of days. We have a 11/2-hour practice, and hopefully that will not be too distracting with all the people who want to come around and pretend they are big fans. I'm not sure we'll be able to be prepared."

Rose, though, is doing his best to make sure the team is ready for Florida, which won the Southeastern Conference regular-season title for the seventh straight time and brings a 34-3 record.

Rose was up at 5 a.m. Monday watching tapes of the Gators, trying to figure out what matchups his team can take advantage of come 9 p.m. Thursday.

"I spend an incredible amount of time looking at video tape of the other teams," Rose said.

Meanwhile, junior Christy Cochran has been busy studying, practicing and getting ready for her first Final Four appearance. She took a final exam Sunday and another one Monday. All the while, she has been looking forward to arriving in Spokane.

"Of course we have to take care of our academics," Cochran said. "But a lot of people have their focus on leaving (for the Final Four)."

As for the limited practice schedule?

"We had a lot of crazy road trips this year where we had a little bit of practice time," Cochran said. "We will just have to stay focused in the time we're given, and I think we'll be fine."

Rose is hoping the same.

"Just the excitement of being there, I believe, is nothing you can ever duplicate or replicate in practice," Rose said. "The adrenaline of competing for a national championship ... is such an exciting thing that I hope that the players will be able to individually prepare so when they collectively come together they can play their game the best they possibly can play."

And, despite the distractions involved with taking final exams, traveling 3,000 miles and then playing in the Final Four, Rose said, "We're excited to have the third chance to experience this disruption in our lives."