While most college students spent their Spring Break on vacation or lounging at home, Penn State traveled to another country to experience different styles of game play outside the USA.

From March 9-12, Penn State played against three Italian teams during their Italy Tour: Monza, Valsugana, and Cogoleto. The Nittany Lions remained victorious during the entirety of their stay.

After their arrival, Penn State went from the plane to two-a-days for the first four days before their games at the end of the week. They saw a 32-5 triumph against Monza, a 28-20 win from Valsugana, and 12-5 victory against Cogoleto.

"We played really great games on Spring Break; we worked really hard on our attack and our defense and that first game clicked for a lot of players," Penn State No. 8 Kyla Chipman said.

For Penn State's player development, Spring Break plays a vital role. It gives the new players a chance to shine against unknown competition. Everyone on the team got a least 90 minutes of play, and this was an opportunity for the less experienced players to gel with people they aren't used to playing with.

"What's really unique about having a college team is that your essentially a mini professional team," Chipman said. "So, we are always playing together and it creates an incredible team. We get to see our season start to finish and we get to see our players start to finish too, and that gives us a different chemistry with our players."

However, Penn State doesn't view their Italian competition as a larger opponent than any of their competition in the States. Bloomsburg gave up 97 points to Penn State of February 28, yet the Nittany Lions view that game to be just as beneficial as their Italy Tour. That is due, in part, to their coach Kate Daley, which has instilled in Penn State the art of valuing and respecting the opponent whiling feeling confident in themselves.

"Kate really wants us to be creative and have the confidence in each one of our players that we're all decision makers," Chipman said. "I think it's very evident on the field now. Everyone is our biggest competition. It doesn't matter who we are playing, every game is a competitive match. We see it as every game is a great opportunity for learning and a great opportunity for people to develop more."

In Chipman's opinion, no matter what team they are playing, Penn State never runs over a team. There is always a fight, yet the Nittany Lions are just able to finish breaks well, and the tries add up after awhile.

Penn State has gathered a total of 176 points within the first four games of their Spring season. They are now scheduled to play against McGill University this Saturday at 11 a.m.