SPOKANE, Wash. -- There will be no more Terri Zemaitis soaring through the air and slamming a volleyball at a helpless opponent, as she did 1,842 times during her Penn State career.

There will be no more Zemaitis sprawling out on the court to dig a volleyball, as she did 1,005 times as a Penn State player.

There will be no more Zemaitis vaulting in the air with her arms fully extended and sending a would-be kill back into an opponent's face, as she did 736 times as a Nittany Lion.

And there will be no more Zemaitis exhibiting her insatiable appetite for winning, her never-say-die attitude and her ability to hoist her team on her shoulders and carry it as far as she can.

Zemaitis' collegiate career came to an end Saturday in the national championship match in Spokane Arena as Penn State lost in a dramatic five-game battle with Stanford. It wasn't how Hollywood would've scripted the ending to Zemaitis' career, but it was Zemaitis at her best.

When Penn State needed a kill, she provided it in blistering fashion. When it was a dig the Nittany Lions needed, there was Zemaitis providing that, too. Or when it was an emotional lift, hey, no problem. Zemaitis, playing the role of a senior leader to perfection, made sure she provided that as well.

Zemaitis finished the title match with 25 kills and an identical number of digs on her way to earning the NCAA tournament's most outstanding player award, though she said she found no consolation in that.

By the time the match ended she had won over a mostly unbiased crowd with her play and enthusiasm. She had already won over her coach, Russ Rose, some four years ago when he was recruiting the high school star from Downers Grove, Ill.

"The pleasure of Terri Zemaitis is that she's such a beautiful individual," Rose said. "She brings something special as a competitor. In my opinion, Terri was the only one who was competing. Everybody else was trying. Terri was competing. She was playing with the passion you need to seize the national championship; nobody's going to mail it into you. She's a great young person."

And that, maybe as much as her athletic ability, is why Zemaitis will be missed. The 6-foot-2 senior was always quick with a smile, receptive to an interview request and a pleasure to watch play volleyball.

She is the first-ever Big Ten player to finish her career with 1,800-plus kills, 1,000-plus digs and 700-plus blocks. She finished her four years at Penn State with 123 wins, 17 losses and two Final Four appearances.

"She's an awesome player, and it's been an honor to play with her for two years," Penn State sophomore Carrie Schonveld said. "She's the player of the year to me. She's such an important part of our team."

It's a part Penn State will have to do without next season, but no doubt, Zemaitis' influence will be felt for years to come. She was the person the Nittany Lions looked to for leadership, and in particular, she was the player sophomore Lauren Cacciamani revered and learned from.

"I think she (Cacciamani) needs to see what Terri did and learn from that," Rose said. "She needs to see what Terri did. Every team needs a go-to player."

On Saturday, Zemaitis was more than willing -- and more than capable -- of accepting that role.

"I think ever since the first serve I was feeling good," Zemaitis said "It was just all a matter of (setter) Bonnie (Bremner) establishing herself and breaking up the block a little bit. That was the whole plan. She wanted to spread it out. I told her, 'Bonnie, I'm feeling really good. I'm jumping well. Anytime you feel like it, you can give me the ball.' ''

When Zemaitis got the ball, good things happened. She hit .345 for the match, but more importantly, on a day when the Nittany Lions weren't playing their best, Zemaitis was there to pick them up and breathe life into them. She helped the Nittany Lions claw back from a 2-0 deficit and force a fifth game.

"I'm just so proud of everyone for how much they fought back," Zemaitis said. "We were in the tank in Game 2, but we just really fought hard."

And no one, on this day or during her career, fought any harder than she did.

David Comer is a sports writer for the Centre Daily Times.