Emails from Mark

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Special NCAA Championship Edition

Greetings from room 1207 of the Irvine Hyatt Regency!

I apologize up front for the length of this missive…

It is about 2:30 AM and the bus leaves for LAX in two hours but sleep isn’t really in the picture at this point. The Nittany Lions are the 2008 NCAA Champions! I am sure, by now; you have known that from the espn2 broadcast or Jen’s releases so I will dispense with my typical format and attempt to bring all of you through the day with us.

It started with a 9 AM practice over at the Bren Center. If there was any worry of our guys being tight it was quickly extinguished by Max Holt being…well, Max Holt. We spent sixty minutes passing and serving and talking with our servers. I got the sense that we were in normal operating mode! We rode back to the hotel and the guys got to relax for a couple of hours. Me? I managed to get a good forty-five minutes of pool time with my son and Heather. Jack had me diving into the water to bring up two quarters that he would toss. Then I would toss them for him to dive.

We then ate lunch in the hotel at 12:30 and immediately after convened for our scouting report meeting. (We seemed to be on the same schedule as was Pepperdine! We met each other at the elevator after our respective scouting report meetings. We both were getting on our busses to head to the Bren Center.) After watching video we had decided to try to run our middles as much as possible at the Waves. We talked about where we wanted to be on our blocking scheme and defensively and we decided to use a new line-up with Matty switching with Jay in the rotation. After playing Long Beach in March, we felt we needed more offensive production in some rotations and more offensive balance in others. We trained this for the eight weeks of the season after spring break. We actually used it in one game of the match at Juniata and it seemed to work well.

The guys seemed ready to go. All that was needed was…was…THE YAK! We got on the bus and I called Yak, put him on speakerphone and put the bus microphone to it. He was live on the bus! The attachment was the inspiration imparted to the guys from Yak! The funny part of this was that while Yak was inspiring our guys, as only Yak can inspire them, the Pepperdine bus pulls up alongside of our bus. Our guys were laughing and animated and pulled together while the Pepp bus appeared to me to be somber and reserved…now that may not be fair since I was not on their bus, but I know they weren’t being inspired by Yak…or anything close to him!

We arrived at the Bren Center and had plenty of time to ease into the match. One of the pre-match memories I will cherish is when we asked Karch Kiraly for a few moments in our locker room. When he stepped in, Travis Foltz presented him with a Nittany Lion t-shirt. It was presented to him from our team as a small gesture for him being inducted into the USOC Hall of Fame and as Travis put so well for making our game something that everyone in that locker room loved. I wish I could have taped it because Travis was great! Karch then said some things and broke our huddle with a “Lions!” cheer. He didn’t have to do that but it is something this group will not forget.

As we warm-up, PSU AD Tim Curley entered the Bren Center along with one of the most recognizable of PSU legends: John Cappelletti. During one of the five minutes when we were off the court, John addressed the team. He talked about being in the championship match and how you never know when it will happen again. He spoke of playing hard and playing smart and enjoying the moment and our guys were at rapt attention. He, too, broke the huddle with a “Lions!” cheer. Wow! The world’s greatest volleyball player and the PSU Hesiman Trophy Winner within thirty minutes of each other! I had hoped this would keep the guys from thinking too much about what lay in front of them.

Then we got rolling! During the introductions the NCAA supplied both teams with mini-volleyballs to throw to the crowd. Pepp was introduced first and we knew that there were a lot of Wave fans in the Center. When the Nittany Lions were introduced we had the noise that said we had support! Luke Murray was the last one introduced and instead of throwing his ball into the stands Luke ran off the court, behind the scorer’s table and handed his ball to young boy who was confined to a wheel chair. He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. The boy just smiled a wonderful smile. It was Luke being Luke!

The match started and we got off to a great start. Luke managed to have about three blocks in the first nine points but Pepperdine fought back and we stalled in the early twenties. Pepp won game one and Max Holt and Matty Anderson came off the court angry. We felt we had that game under control and let it slip away. I felt much like I felt in our very first match of the season against Hawaii when the same thing happened, but having that thought I knew that this team could respond. The question would be whether Pepperdine would let us.

Game two was back and forth. Paul Carroll, Pepp’s great opposite, was getting a ton of sets. I had asked Colin at one point who he thought was going to get the ball. Colin said he would make it easy on me and said, “Carroll, and you needn’t ask me again.” Late in the game Pepperdine caught us after a hitting error and Pepp ace. Somewhere close to that Carroll absolutely pummeled a jump serve! Dennis Del Valle passed the ball perfectly and Luke set middle and it was just hammered to the floor. I thought a message was sent by us that we could take their best and respond with our best when it mattered most. Even though we faced game point we drew even and went ahead and Matty tipped a pipe set which found the floor. We were even!

Game three was again tight. We were starting to get onto the Wave’s rhythm and were contesting everything. Dennis was digging balls and Luke was finding our middles. We were tied at 26, I think, and we stuffed Carroll, dug a ball and converted twice and stuffed Carroll for the game…I think! We were up a 2-1.

Game four had Max Holt go on a serving run…and not by bringing heat but by keeping the ball in and making them play the game. By the time, we were up 6-1 Coach Marv Dunphy burned both timeouts!! As I told the guys, that took Marv out of the game. He is one of the best coaches in the world and one whom I call a friend but we knew it would now be between the players on the court to finish the game. We kept extending our lead. Our energy was high! We were feeding off the crowd and each other and Luke continued to give the ball to our middles. When Jon Sherrick entered the match and stuffed a Wave it took our score to 28, but Pepperdine scored a couple and we used our second timeout. Out of the timeout the ensuing rally turned into a scramble play in which Dennis made one of his patented “How-did-he-do-that play to put the ball to Luke and Luke turned and dumped the ball to the floor! Jay Stauffer went back and attempted to join former Nittany Lion Brian Miller as the next PSU player to serve National Championship point. Jay’s serve put them into a poor pass and when Carroll took his last swing of the match the ball landed long! We were NCAA champions!

I stood up and hugged Craig who was standing and then tapped Colin on the head…Mr. Ice-in-my-veins was still closing his notebook! I managed to shake hands with everyone on staff. That’s when Jackson and Heather made it to me and we had a family hug. That was when my tears started! To be with a great bunch of guys who gave everything they had for the whole year and to share their biggest win of the year with my family was completely overwhelming!

I did the perfunctory TV thing with Karch and got back to my team and there the serious hugging began: Kirk Adams and Jim Weaver, Tim Curley and Dean DeVore but when I got to Coach Tait it overwhelmed me again. Our coach who put this whole thing together and fostered it and loved it and grew it was there with us! For all of us PSU MVB alums who were in some way affected by Coach it was wonderful that we could have him accept his award with us! Oh, I wasn’t done being emotional. Handing out the watches for the NCAA was the chair of the NCAA Men’s Championship Committee: Ron Shayka. Shakes and I go back to Denny Patton’s Edinboro Volleyball Camp in 1976! He was in our wedding and to accept the award from Shakes will always be one of my most cherished memories of this day!

We managed to get the guys back into the locker room and I wanted them to look around at each other. Thirty years from today I want their memory of their team to be exactly what it was today. I wanted them to be a team for the very last time in a PSU uniform.

We then headed to the press conference and eventually got ourselves on the bus. Shakes climbed on and instead of going straight to the hotel the guys wanted to In-and-Out Burger. How can one say no to that post-Championship request? I stayed on the bus answering my cell phone and checking messages. To all of you who called or texted me I promise I will get back to you!

We got back to the hotel where all the parents and alums were waiting and the celebration began. It was so good sharing it with everyone there. We brought Jack back to the room at about 11 pm and packed. Now at 3:30 AM I am here. That, my friends, was my day and, I hope, you were brought along with us through this great day in PSU MVB history! I have an hour to get on the bus and get headed back to Happy Valley! We are slated to arrive somewhere around 9 PM tonight by bus from the Pittsburgh Airport.

I can’t say enough about the way UC Irvine conducted the championship! It was great! Also, I have got to say thanks to my boss, Assistant Athletic Director Jan Bortner for his superb help through this weekend. He handled things that I didn’t have to worry about. Jen Armson was her usual super SID self. Colin and Craig were awesome!!!! This team was ready and much of that was directly due to their hard work! I have a great staff. I am sure I am forgetting many people and for that I apologize. It was a great day!

I will get back to all of you again soon. I hope to see you in Rec Hall where we have an added piece of hardware for you all to see! Thanks again for all your support, calls, texts, prayers and yells. WE ARE…ALL CHAMPIONS!


All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the 2008 NCAA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS

 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #34 - 5/3/08

Hello from beautiful downtown Irvine, CA!

The Nittany Lions arrived on Tuesday morning, got in a little practice, met with Orange County Nittany Lion Club chapter and then got into the NCAA itinerary on Wednesday. A little more practice in the Bren Center which is the site of the championships and on to the NCAA Banquet where Max Holt, Luke Murray, Dennis Del Valle and Max Lipsitz picked up their All-America honors and where Matty Anderson was also named All-American and the Co-Player of the Year with Paul Lottman from Long Beach.

Wednesday turned into Thursday and after a good morning practice we settled into getting ready for our semifinal battle with Big Ten rival Ohio State. We managed to take a four game win from them 30-21, 26-30, 30-22, 30-17 to advance to tomorrow’s NCAA Championship match against the Pepperdine Waves who defeated the Long Beach 49’ers 30-26, 30-21, 30-26 after our match.

I was concerned about playing the Buckeyes for the third time in a match that the prevailing thought was that we should win. We knew the Buckeyes were getting better and better down the stretch and I feared if we overlooked them we could be watching the final.

Game one began as the crowd was still arriving and much like the last two matches it was tight through the early going. At 15-13, a Sweitzer kill and Lipsitz/Stauffer block gave the Lions some separation at 17-13. At 19-16, an OSU service error, Murray solo block, Sweitzer kill, Sweitzer ace, Holt stuff, Anderson kill, another Sweitzer ace and an Anderson kill put the game out of Buckeye reach with a 27-16 PSU lead. A Sweitzer kill at 29-21 ended game one 30-21. The Nittany Lions were led by Sweitzer (Kills – 6; Aces – 2; Digs - 2), Anderson (Kills – 6; Digs - 2), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .552 to the Buckeyes’ .267.

Game two against the Buckeyes this year always seemed to be their game. Early in January they came within a botched overpass kill to win that game two and at our place in March they did win game two so we knew there would be a desperation that they would play with in this match…and they did. They were up 7-10 but PSU closed after an OSU serving error and attack error to 9-10. PSU tied at 13 on a Sweitzer kill and the game was close as it was tied at 16 and 17, but at that time our offense started to become a little too predictable and the Buckeye serving became a little tougher. All of that spelled trouble for the Nittany Lions as the opened a 20-26 advantage. We didn’t go away. A Stauffer/Murray/Lipsitz triple block was followed by kills from Lipsitz, Sweitzer and Anderson and an OSU hitting error. The Nittany Lions were right back in the game at 25-26 but after an OSU timeout we missed the serve and the momentum we had captured. At 26-29, and OSU serve hit the net and crawled over to our side and fell for the game 26-30. Game leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 7), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 4). PSU hit .257 while the Buckeyes were .276.

Game three was tied at 13 through 17. Our block then made it presence felt: first, Lipsitz/Stauffer, then Lipsitz/Sweitzer, then Lipsitz/Anderson…twice. Anderson followed that with a kill for a 22-17 lead. At 24-20, an OSU serving error was followed by a Holt/Murray stuff, Anderson kill, Holt kill, and another Anderson kill for a 29-20 lead. At 29-22 an Anderson kill ended game three 30-22. Lion leaders were Anderson (Kills – 13), Lipsitz (Blocks – 7) and Del Valle (Digs – 6). PSU hit .312 while holding OSU to a -.091 clip.

Game four to a 16-6 lead. It almost seemed as if game three’s quick end deflated the Buckeyes a little. The Nittany Lions were firing on all cylinders. In fact, at 27-14 a OSU swing was taken off the shoulder and beyond our end line. Dennis gave chase, looked back to see where Matty and the left side antenna was and, not only caught up to the ball, but put a forearm set, over his head right on the pin to Matty. Later Matty told me that he wanted to hit the ball but didn’t want to hit it into the block so he tipped it with his left hand. It found a crease in the Buckeye block and also found the floor for a 28-14 lead and a crowd that exploded on the play which Dennis made! At 29-17, the Nittany Lions moved on the NCAA Championship match with a Holt/Sweitzer stuff block for a 30-17 win. Game four leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Aces – 1), Sweitzer (Blocks – 2) and Stauffer and Murray (Digs – 3). PSU hit .619 while OSU hit .000.

We managed to overcome a tough stretch in game two and rebound to a higher level of volleyball for the rest of the match. Our serving settled in and certainly our block came up big tonight. Our fans seemed to be intent on making the Bren Center Rec Hall West as I can’t say enough about their support. In fact, in the middle of the third game, I felt a tap on the shoulder and turned around to find the Nittany Lion pumping a fist at me! It was great to have him here. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 30), Lipsitz (Blocks – 12), Sweitzer (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 14). PSU out-hit the Buckeyes .410 to .108; out-blocked them 18.5 to 11; out-dug them 38 to 30 but only had 4 aces to OSU’s 5.

Now we get the Waves of Pepperdine. They will be a formidable foe in the championship match. We have practiced well today and the guys seem to be in a great frame of mind. As always, I’ll be back to you with details of the final match of 2008! I wish all of you could be here enjoying the weekend with us!


All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys!

 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #33 - 4/28/08

Greetings from Route 22 headed to Pittsburgh!

We are now passing the center of the volleyball universe: Derry, Pennsylvania. Oh, I know the Penn Hills clan will be clamoring and certainly the York and Lancaster group will be groaning, but, you know what? I am authoring this text, so tough! Derry is the center of the volleyball universe!

Anyway, to continue with the EIVA update. We found ourselves, since I last left you, heading for the showdown with GMU in the EIVA Championship match. The Nittany Lions prevailed for the tenth time in ten years with a 30-24, 33-31, 30-23 win to capture the automatic qualification for the NCAA championship at Irvine, CA!

GMU was the only team to hang a loss on us this year. They did it by serving us tough and blocking well as they hosted us in March. We knew they were an outstanding blocking team…certainly one of the best we faced all year. We knew they would play simply outstanding volleyball for stretches and our job would be to find a way to end those stretches before they could put games out of our reach. We were ready for a great EIVA final!

Game one had GMU seize a 1-5 lead right from the start but after an Anderson ace was sandwiched by two Holt kills the Lions had tied at 6. From that point on the game became one of streaks. PSU was scoring two to four points but GMU would not let the lead get too big and they tied at 16 after a couple of PSU hitting errors and GMU block. At 18-18, Stauffer had a solo block, GMU hit the antenna, Murray served an ace, GMU hit another ball wide and Sweitzer put a ball away. The score stood 24-18. At 29-24, a GMU service error ended game one 30-24. Leaders for PSU were Holt (Kills – 4), Anderson (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1; Digs – 2; Points – 5.5), Sweitzer and Murray (Aces – 1; Digs – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .207 to GMU’s .000.

Game two was tight again. The teams battled to 17-17, and then a Mason attack error, kills from Sweitzer and Anderson, another Mason hitting error and a Stauffer ace moved the score to 22-17. Things looked good at 27-22 when an innocuous short serve landed untouched, the next serve resulted in an overpass kill for GMU then two more GMU kills closed the score to 27-26. An Anderson kill ended that run and it was 28-26 and a Sweitzer kill gave PSU game point at 29-26. GMU would not roll over. Two PSU hitting errors and a GMU stuff block tied the game at 29. A GMU service error gave PSU the lead 30-29, but a GMU kill and ace gave game point to Mason 30-31. Lipsitz put the thought of a win out of the collective mind of GMU at that time with a kill to tie at 31. GMU then hit a ball into the net and Lipsitz and Anderson stuffed for game point and a 33-31 lead. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Blocks – 2; Points – 7), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Stauffer and Foltz (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU hit .205 but held GMU to .032.

Game three had PSU up 6-5 but a Lipsitz kill, GMU hitting error, another Lipsitz kill and yet another GMU hitting error gave PSU the 10-5 lead. Mason once again came fighting back to close to 17-15. At 21-17, PSU scored with two kills from Sweitzer, a kill from Anderson and a Mason hitting error for 25-17 lead. The lead went to 29-23 and EIVA Championship point was won with an Anderson kill for a 30-23 win. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Blocks – 1; Points - 6.5), Murray (Blocks – 1; Digs – 3), Lipsitz (Blocks – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .200 while Mason hit .086.

We managed to battle a tough team and overcome a stretch that could have spelled trouble for us in game two. GMU played hard and I have to tip my hat to senior outside hitter for GMU Hudson Bates. Hudson rolled his ankle in pre-game warm-up but managed to give such a gutsy effort. He really exemplified the GMU team as willing to do anything to win. Fortunately, we managed to convert late game digs from spectacular efforts from Dennis Del Valle. Not only did we score but Dennis’ efforts brought the crowd into the game at the best of times for the Nittany Lions. He was a catalyst for out offense on a night where we were not at our offensive best…thanks to GMU’s block and defense. Match leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 15; Blocks – 5; Aces – 1; Points – 19), Sweitzer, Stauffer, Murray and Foltz (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU out-hit GMU .204 to .040; out-aced them 5 to 4; out-dug them 32 to 24 but Mason held the blocking advantage 12 to 7.5.

The EIVA All-Tournament team consisted of NJIT’s Paludo, GMU’s Grammit and Goubeaux and PSU’s Holt, Murray and Del Valle. Matty Anderson was named as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Now we are preparing for the NCAA semifinal match against Ohio State, the MIVA champion while Pepperdine takes on Long Beach. Both matches will be televised live on espn2 starting with our match at 9 PM ET on Thursday, May 1. The NCAA Championship match will be televised live on espn2 on Saturday at 7 PM ET. I’ll be back to you with an update before the matches on Thursday.

Thanks to all of you who have sent emails or have called. We truly appreciate your support and hope to play well for all the Nittany Nation on Thursday! Be back to you soon!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the 2008 EIVA Champions
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #32 - 4/28/08

Greetings from Route 22 headed to Pittsburgh!

We have been a tad busy so please accept this apology for the delay in the EIVA updates. Thursday’s EIVA semifinal had the Nittany Lions defeating the NYU Violets 30-22, 30-21, 30-20. The Violets were the #8 seed and had defeated #5 Juniata in five games and #4 Saint Francis in three to earn their first EIVA semifinal appearance. Leading up to the match we had wanted the team to focus on our side of the net and force NYU to play at a high level over time. We felt we had the advantage but if we allowed them to believe they could hang with us they could be dangerous.

Game one was tied at 8 but an NYU service error, Anderson kill and NYU hitting error gave PSU an 11-8 lead. The score was 16-15 and NYU wasn’t giving an inch but then two Anderson kills had sandwiched a Holt kill for a 19-15 lead and the Nittany Lions proceeded to pull away from the Violets. Our serving and transition game was kicking into a higher gear and with the score 26-21 a NYU service error and NYU attack error and Lipsitz kill brought us to game point at 29-21 but after an PSU service error NYU returned the favor for a 30-22 win. Game one leaders were Anderson (Kills – 8; Points – 8) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .516 to NYU’s .308.

Game two was similar to the first game with NYU playing tough early but with the score tied at 12 an Anderson kill, Holt kill, NYU attack error and Anderson ace moved the score to 16-12 and the Nittany Lions stepped on the accelerator. Once again our defense and transition game allowed our size advantage to start to wear them down. With the score at 29-21, Max Holt unloaded on a serve that NYU couldn’t handle for a 30-21 win. Nittany Lion game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Aces – 1; Digs – 2; Points – 7.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2) and Holt (Aces – 1). PSU hit .727 while NYU hit .259.

Game three seemed to have us waiting for NYU to go home. Our offense was lackadaisical and NYU started to believe that they could last more than a half of game with us. The score was tied at 18 and after a PSU timeout two kills from Anderson and an NYU hitting error gave PSU the 21-18 lead. With the lead 25-20, a Holt kill, Stauffer solo block, two Anderson aces and a NYU attack error closed out the match 30-20. PSU leaders for game three were Anderson (Kills – 6; Blocks – 2; Aces – 2; Points – 9), Holt (Kills – 6; Blocks – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .565 while NYU hit .130.

NYU played hard and forced PSU to raise our level of play. We can see why the Violets had such a successful playoff run. I liked the way we played after the score hit 20 as we ran away from NYU with our transition game. Prior to the match we watched NJIT push GMU to the brink with a five game match. GMU won game five with 15-13 score so we new if we let our guard down at any time the same thing could happen to us. Match leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 20; Aces – 3; Points – 24.5), Holt (Blocks – 4) and Del Valle (Digs – 6). PSU out-hit the Violets .592 to .237; out-blocked them 5 to 1; out-dug them 24 to 11 and out-aced them 4 to 2.

Prior to the match we met a volleyball fan in Duane Siple. Duane has his challenges medically but wanted to spend time at PSU for the semifinals. He visited with us during the scouting meeting, stayed near the bench and changed sides with us and was part of our post-game locker room meeting and press conferences. The guys and I were very impressed with Duane’s support and courage and flattered that he wanted to see our match. He was quite a powerful inspiration for the team. We wish him the very best and look forward to having him join us again next season!!

So now we get ready to defend our EIVA championship against the George Mason Patriots. It should be a battle.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the Nittany Lions
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #31 - 4/13/08

Greetings from Route 30 somewhere in Western Ohio!

The Nittany Lions wrapped up the 2008 regular season with a 30-20, 30-27, 30-28 win over the IFPW Mastodons. This was a trip that always is tough. IFPW always has a vocal crowd and they feed off of them. We needed to control IFPW early to try to keep the crowd out of the match, but it was Senior Night for the seven seniors on the team and we figured their emotions would be running high. The had also been defeated last night by Saint Francis in five games so expected that Coach Ball and staff would have them ready to go.

Game one was tied at five but an IPFW service error gave the ball and lead to the Nittany Lions. On our serve a rally ensued that resulted in Max Lipsitz throwing out a fist on a ball tipped along the net and Dennis Del Valle running up to set it but he decided to set the ball over the net into the right back corner where is fell untouched for a kill for the libero! Then and IFPW hitting error gave PSU the 8-5 lead. PSU seemed to keep the stretching our lead by two every time a new PSU server took the ball to serve. At 29-20 an IPFW hitting error ended the game at 30-20. Game one leaders for the Nittany Lions were Sweitzer (Kills – 6; Blocks – 3), Lipsitz and Holt (Blocks – 3) and Murray (Digs – 2). PSU hit .455 to .000 for IFPW.

Game two had IPFW ahead 8-9 when a serving error gave the ball to PSU, a Lipsitz kill, a Murray block and a Holt ace gave PSU the 11-9 lead. But IFPW tied at 15 and the crowd was starting to get into the game. It was back and forth as neither team could get any separation. With the game at 26-26 an IPFW serving error was followed by a dig by Del Valle which Sweitzer converted to a 28-26 lead. After an IPFW kill, Holt responded with a kill then went back and closed out the game with an ace 30-27. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 5), Murray (Blocks – 2), Holt (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU hit .303 while IPFW hit .235.

There was a ten minute break between games and we headed down to our locker room only to find the DePaul soccer team showering in the locker room! That was first for me, but the guys didn’t bat an eye and we met in another locker room and tried to get ready for the kitchen sink that the Mastodons were going to no doubt throw our way! I don’t care about season records when you take on Arnie Ball’s Mastodons. They will fight and claw the whole match.

Game three saw IFPW come firing. They were digging balls and converting and PSU seemed to lose a little focus offensively and the next thing you know we were staring at an 11-18 deficit. We managed to close to 16-19 after a Lipsitz stuff, Sweitzer kill and IPFW hitting error. It still didn’t look good after an IFPW block made the score 21-25. An Anderson kill was followed by a Holt kill and Anderson ace. We were back to 24-25! We tied at 27 on a Lipsitz kill. We exchanged sideouts to get to 28-28 when an Anderson kill gave us match point at 28-29, but a PSU hitting error tied it at 29 and another PSU hitting error made it 29-30. It certainly looked like we were going to a game four but a Lipsitz kill tied the score at 30. Then a Holt/Sweitzer/Anderson triple block was followed by a Holt/Sweitzer stuff to end the match 32-30. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Aces – 1), Holt (Blocks – 3; Aces - 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 6). PSU hit .188 to IPFW’s .205.

So we managed to survive the Mastodons and the trip west to Chicago and Fort Wayne and get away with two three-game sweeps. Our block managed to come up big tonight and really helped to dictate our will at the net. We certainly weren’t sharp offensively but it takes every facet of the game to win. Defensively we played pretty well and never backed off even when the crowd was roaring and IFPW was doing everything it could to keep us on our heels. It was a good road win tonight! Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 17), Holt (Blocks – 7; Aces – 3) and Del Valle (Digs – 12). PSU out-hit IFPW .282 to .158; out-blocked them 16.5 to 7.5; out-dug them 32 to 27. Both teams had 4 aces.

So now we head back home. We get a chance to rest for a couple days and get our academic house in order for this last three weeks. We’ll get a chance to put together six good training sessions and see who we get for the EIVA semifinals. It will be the winner of Juniata vs NYU then vs Saint Francis. We will be ready for the EIVA’s on Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26! We hope to see you in Rec Hall for those matches.

Enjoy the weekend!
Pav, Craig, Colin and the Nittany Lions
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #30 - 4/12/08

Greetings from Lake Shore Drive!

The Nittany Lions are on our way back to Ft. Wayne, IN after tonight’s 30-21, 30-18, 30-28 win over the Loyola Ramblers. It is always tough to win on the road and for the Nittany Lions especially on the road at Loyola. This is the first win here ever for PSU. We left Ft. Wayne this morning at 10 AM and arrived at Loyola around 12 Central Time. The afternoon went well as the guys had a productive pass and serve and a pretty good dinner at a nearby Italian place. I really had a good feeling about how prepared we were to combat a hostile crowd in a tough gym.

Game one started with PSU up 9-7 when a Rambler service error was followed by a Lipsitz kill and Stauffer ace for a 12-7 lead. After another Rambler service error made it 18-12, Jay Stauffer had two solo blocks which alternated with two kills from Sweitzer for a 22-12 lead. A Lipsitz kill at 29-21 ended the game 30-21. PSU leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 5; Digs – 2; Points – 5.5), Stauffer (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1; Digs - 2), Anderson (Aces – 1; Digs – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .458 while Loyola hit .103.

Game two was 7-6 when an Anderson kill, Loyola hitting error and a Lipsitz/Stauffer block moved the game to 10-6.. PSU managed to keep extending the lead and at 25-17 a Murray stuff, Sweitzer kill, Holt/Stauffer block and Loyola hitting error made it 29-17. After a PSU serving error Loyola returned the favor and put the serve into the net for a 30-18 PSU win. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 5; Points – 5), Stauffer (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1), Holt and Murray (Blocks – 2) and Sweitzer (Aces – 1; Digs – 3). The Nittany Lions hit .375 and the Ramblers hit .000.

Game three was tied at 6 when a Rambler serving error was followed by kills from Anderson and Lipsitz made the score 9-6 but Loyola had decided to just play hard. They were scrambling after everything and taking swings on everything. They tied us at 11-11. The game was on! The crowd, which we had managed to keep out of the match in games one and two, came to life and Alumni Hall was rocking. The Ramblers were thriving on it! We needed to keep our poise and answer their energy. It seemed as if the Ramblers would not let that happen as they were leading 16-19, but a Holt kill, a Rambler tip into the net, an Anderson kill and a Stauffer ace gave PSU a 20-19 lead. The crowd was on its feet from that point on and the score was tied at 27 when kills from Holt and Anderson gave PSU match point at 29-27. A Rambler kill moved the score to 29-28 but a Holt kill ended the match 30-28. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 8; Digs – 3), Holt and Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .517 with Loyola hitting .515.

So the Lions managed to keep our poise and match the intensity of the Ramblers and their crowd in the latter stages of game three. It was a fun atmosphere and we finally got a win in Alumni Hall! Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 16; Digs – 6; Points – 17), Stauffer (Blocks – 4; Aces – 2), Sweitzer (Aces – 2; Digs – 6) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU out-hit Loyola .455 to .230; out-blocked them 8 to 6; out-dug them 28-14 and out-aced them 6 to 2.

So tomorrow we end our 2008 regular season against the Ft. Wayne Mastodons. The ‘Dons were defeated tonight in five by the SFU Red Flash so they will be looking to end their season on a positive note. I am sure Coach Ball will have them fired up and the crowd will be loud and ready for us. I’ll be back to you tomorrow evening.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #29 - 4/1/08

Greetings from the Rec Hall office!

Saturday was the longest day of a home match that I have ever experienced. The Nittany Lions, by the end of the day, had defeated the Ball State Cardinals 30-26, 30-22, 30-17. The Cardinals arrived at Rec Hall around 8 PM after having bus troubles that prevented them from leaving Muncie at 8 AM. They got on the road at 11:30 AM. We started the match at 8:45 PM. Many thanks to Jeff Fisher, PSU marketing guru and announcer-extraordinaire, Dean DeVore for keeping the early arriving fans in their seats. We had over 1000 people here for a match that started 1:45 later than they had expected! I had hoped that we wouldn’t get caught up in a drowsy-oh-we’ve-got-to-play mentality.

Game one was tied at 5 when kills from Anderson and Stauffer sandwiched two BSU hitting errors for a 9-5 lead, but the Cardinals were not playing like they were coming off a 12 hour travel mode. They tied at 9 and went up 15-18. At that point, PSU answered with a kill from Lipsitz and this was followed by a Cardinal hitting error. Kills from Lipsitz and Anderson preceded two more Cardinal hitting errors and gave PSU a 20-18 lead. PSU stretched it to 27-21 but BSU closed to 27-24. At 29-26, A BSU serving error ended game one 30-26. Game one leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 5; Points – 5), Holt (Blocks – 2; Points – 5), Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 4). PSU hit .367 while BSU hit .152.

Game two began with an Anderson kill, two BSU attack errors and a Lipsitz/Sweitzer block for a 4-0 lead. PSU kept stretching the lead aided by Luke Murray running our sideout offense very well and our serving keeping pressure on the Ball State passers. At 26-22, Murray had a kill, BSU hit another ball long and Anderson’s second consecutive kill ended game two 30-22. Game two leaders for the Lions were Anderson (Kills – 9; Points – 9.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Holt (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .571 to the Cardinals’ .312.

Game three began the same way as game two. A kill from Lipsitz, two kills from Sweitzer and a Cardinal hitting error gave PSU the lead 4-0. At 10-5 Sweitzer put away another kill, BSU had another hitting error, Lipsitz registered a kill then Sweitzer/Lipsitz/Anderson combined for a block and a 14-5 lead. At 29-17, a Pereira kill ended the long day with a 30-17 win. Game three leaders for PSU were Sweitzer (Kills – 7; Blocks – 2; Points – 8), Anderson and Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Murray (Aces – 1; Digs - 2) and Foltz (Digs – 2). PSU hit .517 while holding the Cardinals to a -.032 percentage.

So the final regular season match at Rec Hall is in the books. I was pleased that we did not succumb to a potential malaise that could have crept on us as we waited for the hours to pass. The guys handled it very well and never opened a door for Ball State to believe they could overcome us and their travel woes. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 15; Points 16.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 5), Murray, Sweitzer and Holt (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 8). PSU out-hit the Cardinals .483 to .146; out-blocked them 9.5 to 5.5; out-aced them 3 to 2 and out-dug them 25-19.

It was also the final regular season home match for seniors Travis Foltz and Luke Murray. Suffice it to say that we will host the EIVA’s so we will skip the final accolades for them until it truly is final. But it was a long but fruitful evening and now we get two weeks to train and get ready for our trip to Chicago and Ft. Wayne to wrap up our 2008 regular season in two weekends. I think we can make additional strides in the next two weeks!

Have a great two weeks and we’ll be back to you soon!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys

 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #28 - 3/29/08

Greetings from yet another sun-drenched Saturday morning at Rec Hall!

Last evening concluded our Big Ten schedule with our second match against the Ohio State Buckeyes with a 30-23, 27-30, 30-20, 30-19 win in front of over 2000 people. The match was broadcast by WPSU live and should be appearing on the Big Ten Network sometime this coming week. We’ll be sure to let you know when that is going to happen.

Anytime the Buckeyes come to town we know we will have a physical battle in front of us. They block very well if they can get you out of system, and unfortunately for us, they have some servers who can put you out of system. We thought that we could do the same to them. They have also been racked by injuries this year as they have lost two middles and an outside but in the Big Ten, even in men’s volleyball, that just seems to make teams tougher.

Game one started with two Sweitzer kills, an OSU error and an Anderson kill for a 4-0 lead. After a Lipsitz kill made it 11-6, OSU took a timeout but a Sweitzer kill and Lipsitz ace gave PSU a lead of 13-6. Then the Buckeyes started to crawl back into the game and closed to 17-15. At 22-20, an OSU serving error preceded a Holt/Murray/Anderson block which was followed by a Sweitzer ace for a 25-20 lead. At 29-23, a Stauffer kill ended game one 30-23. Game leaders for PSU were Holt (Kills – 5; Blocks – 1; Points 5.5), Anderson (Blocks – 1; Digs – 2; Points – 5.5), Murray (Blocks – 1), Sweitzer (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .407 to OSU’s .227.

Game two was back and forth early with neither team being able to get any distance from the other. At 18-18, a Buckeye kill was followed by two PSU attack errors and a PSU timeout at 18-21. From that point on the Buckeyes wouldn’t let us any closer than 27-29 and a Buckeye kill ended game two 27-30. Nittany Lion leaders for the game were Lipsitz (Kills – 4; Aces – 1; Points – 5), Holt (Aces – 1) and Murray and Anderson (Digs – 3). PSU hit .179 to OSU’s .441.

After regrouping in the break between games the Nittany Lions came out in game three with a kill from Sweitzer and two kills from Anderson for a 3-0 lead. The Nittany Lions kept increasing the lead as we started to become a little more disciplined with our block and we started to turn points off of some outstanding touches. At 15-9 after a Holt kill got the serve back to the Lions, Max went back and served two aces for an 18-9 lead. The Nittany Lions held a 29-20 advantage when a Buckeye serve went into the net for a 30-29 game three win. Game three Lion leaders were Anderson (Kills – 8; Points – 8), Lipsitz and Murray (Blocks – 1), Holt (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU hit .444 while the Buckeyes hit .143.

Game four saw OSU up 6-7 but a Sweitzer kill, OSU attack error and Murray ace put PSU up 9-7. It was a lead that we did not relinquish. At 10-8 blocks from Lipsitz/Anderson and Lipsitz/Sweitzer and an Anderson kill moved the score to 13-8. The teams traded sideouts then a Holt/Sweitzer block, Lipsitz ace and Buckeye error gave PSU a 17-9 lead. At 29-19 a Buckeye service error ended the match 30-19. Game four leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 5; Blocks – 2; Points – 6), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1; Points – 6), Holt and Murray (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .600 while OSU hit .179.

It seemed to be an odd-rhythm match in the early going. OSU served us tough and missed some serves but it took a while to get into an offensive rhythm. We managed to do that in game three and kept it going through the remainder of the match. Once again the guys hung in there and overcame their frustration level to settle into a commanding game three and four. Match leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 19), Lipsitz (Blocks – 3), Holt (Aces – 4) and Del Valle (Digs – 12). PSU out-hit the Buckeyes .392 to .267; out-aced them 11 to 6; out-dug them 34 to 11 but were out-blocked by OSU 9.5 to 5.5.

Now we get ready for Ball State. They have won 15 of the last 16 matches and are playing pretty well, but as I type this they are rushing eastward on Route 80 as they encountered bus problems this morning in Muncie. It appears as if tonight’s match will get pushed back to possibly 8 or 8:30 PM. We will need to get into our game prep a little differently than usual. It will also be Senior Night this evening and before the match we will honor our two seniors: Travis Foltz and Luke Murray. I can’t believe it has been four years for them already!

I’ll be back after the match with the update.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys

 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #27 - 3/27/08

Greetings from the Rec Hall office!

Sorry for the delay in the update but Rec Hall has been all abuzz with the preparations for former President Clinton’s appearance here tonight…and I just thought the painting and cleaning was for our matches this weekend!

PSU defeated the Juniata Eagles Tuesday evening to wrap up our 2008 EIVA Tait schedule. The scores were 30-16, 30-17, 30-20.

In past years, we have left Rec Hall around 4 PM and wound our way down Route 26 to Juniata to get there around 4:45 to 5 PM. It came to my attention last year that the bus ride down caused some of the guys to become motion sick! Anyone who is familiar with route 26 can imagine the rolling and swaying of the bus as it moves in and out of bright sunshine. So we left at 2:30 PM and had our pre-game meal at the Original Italian Pizza in downtown Huntingdon then moved up to Juniata College and let the guys have their normal pre-game routine. It seemed to serve us well.

Game one began and PSU was up 9-7. There was a good crowd in the Kennedy Sports & Rec Center with one really vocal heckler…more on him later…and one could sense that the JC supporters were just itching to get involved for their team. We just never let them get an opportunity. With the lead stretched to 19-14 a Holt kill got the serve for Sweitzer. Kills by Anderson and Holt preceded two JC attack errors, then a Sweitzer ace and a Holt/Murray stuff was followed by another Sweitzer ace and a Murray/Holt/Anderson stuff to make the score 28-15. A Sherrick kill closed out game one 30-16. Game one Nittany Lion leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 4; Aces – 2; Points – 6), Holt (Kills – 4; Blocks – 2), Murray (Blocks – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .632 to JC’s .107.

Game two began with the teams trading sideouts but then an Anderson kill, JC error, Murray ace and kills from Anderson and Sweitzer had the score at 6-2. PSU had a good sideout rhythm going and at 21-10 an Anderson ace, JC error and Sweitzer kill moved the score to 24-10. At 29-17, an Anderson kill ended the game 30-17. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Digs – 2; Points – 9), Sweitzer (Blocks – 2) and Del Valle and Stauffer (Digs – 2). PSU hit .727 while JC hit .214.

Game three started with Holt kill, JC error, Holt ace, Lipsitz/Murray stuff and JC error for a 5-0 lead. PSU kept increasing the lead. At 19-10 a Sherrick kill was followed by a Foltz/Sherrick/Pereira stuff and a JC error for a 22-10 lead. With the score 29-20 another Sherrick kill ended the match 30-20. Game three leaders were Pereira (Blocks – 2; Points – 4), Anderson and Sherrick (Kills – 3), Murray and Lipsitz (Blocks – 2) and Mars (Digs – 2). PSU hit .542 to JC’s .100.

Now the 2008 EIVA Tait Division slate is in the books. The guys handled the trip and the match very well. We were as fresh as I have ever seen a Nittany Lion team. We were very physically dominant in this match as evidenced by Juniata only digging five balls the entire match! We were bringing some serious heat in this outing. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 13; Points 15.5), Murray (Blocks – 4), Holt (Aces – 3) and Del Valle (Digs – 6). PSU out-did the Eagles in every category: hitting .631 to .140, blocking 10 balls to their 2.5, digging 21 balls to their 5 and serving 8 aces to none for JC.

Now back to the heckler. JC crowds have always been known for heckling attempts. In some years they are more creative than in others but for the one vocal heckler on Tuesday evening nothing seemed to work. It began with the heckling of Sweitzer, but he responded with some big kills and a huge serving run late in the game. He then targeted Dennis Del Valle after a kill landed just in front of Dennis. He said something like “Hit at him. He is their weakest link!” Within minutes after that comment Dennis pursued a ball off the court and made an outstanding play on it that resulted in a swing and kill for us. It was simply a great play! The heckler never mentioned Dennis again. He mentioned something about Lipsitz. Max then bounced the two next swings he took! No mention of Max again. The heckler took some shots at Matty. He was pleading with nobody in particular to “feed the poor boy…at least a hamburger!” Matty then ripped a serve that resulted in a terrible pass and JC hitting error, then in game two the heckler was back on Matty (again with the food thing) and Matty put two good serving stretches together. It was then that heckler shut up. It was the first time I have ever witnessed a heckler to cause everyone he heckled to perform even better. He certainly did help his team out! The PSU coaching staff was willing to point out some other of our players to him so they could play better but I guess he knew when he was beaten! It was funny.

So now we await the invasion of the Buckeyes and Cardinals this weekend. The Friday evening match against Ohio State will be televised by WPSU and streamed live on the GoPSUsports.com website. Then Senior Night will take place against Ball State on Saturday honoring Luke Murray and Travis Foltz. We are looking forward to two nights of some pretty competitive volleyball in Rec Hall. We hope to see you there!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #26 - 3/16/08

GreetingsGreetings from 35,000 feet…

…somewhere above some wheat field in Kansas I believe. We are en route back to State College after one of the best volleyball matches of which I have been a part. The Nittany Lions defeated the Long Beach 49’ers last evening 30-18, 27-30, 30-28, 29-31, 15-12 in front of a great crowd of about 1500 people in the Pyramid.

The setting was everything a collegiate event is about: two very good teams playing in a great venue with fans for both sides being loud and vocal and adding to the event. The teams have faced each other a fair amount over the years and we certainly have a very healthy respect for the staff and the players of the 49’ers. It always seems that when we square off the fans get their monies worth of outstanding men’s volleyball. Last night did not disappoint!

The IPFW vs Cal Baptist match went five games and the crowd was filing in during their fifth game. Little did they realize it was just a portent of what was to come in the second match.

Game one saw the Nittany Lions come out firing on all cylinders. It may have been the best game we have put together in a long time. After a Holt/Anderson block was sandwiched between two Holt kills the Nittany Lions had an early 5-2 lead. At 13-11, an Anderson kill, Holt/Murray stuff, 49’er error and Sweitzer kill PSU moved the lead to 17-11. At 25-17, two Anderson kills, a Murray kill and a Sweitzer ace made it 29-17. After a Long Beach sideout, Max Holt put away game point for a 30-18 win. Game one leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 7; Points – 8), Holt (Blocks – 3; Aces – 1), Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 6). PSU hit .708 to the 49’er’s .100.

Game two was sure to be one that Long Beach would respond and they did as they grabbed a quick 0-2 lead. At 9-9 kills from Holt and Sweitzer preceded the teams trading service errors then Anderson came up with two aces for a 14-10 PSU lead. However, Long Beach tied at 16 and both teams got into solid sideout rhythms. It was 26-26 when we blinked first. A PSU serving error and a 49’er kill and 49’er block got them to game point at 26-29. A Holt kill staved off the end but a kill by the Beach’s All-American candidate Paul Lotman ended game two 27-30. Nittany Lion leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 6; Points - 6), Anderson (Aces – 2; Points - 6) and Murray (Digs – 3). PSU hit .519 but Long Beach hit .594. The match was on!!

Game three did not look good for the Lions as the Beach came out hot. They gained a 4-10 lead which we managed to cut into as the game wore on but after a Long Beach stuff block made it 18-23 the outcome looked bleak for the Nittany Lions. Anderson’s first of three consecutive kills got the ball back for Sweitzer to serve and then Long Beach misfired on two swings. Holt, Anderson and Murray stuffed for the lead at 24-23. At 28-26 another 49’er hitting error gave the Nittany Lions a 29-26 lead but the Beach fought back to 29-28. A Lipsitz kill gave game three to PSU 30-28. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 5; Blocks – 2; Points – 6), Sweitzer (Kills – 5) and Stauffer (Digs – 2). PSU hit .258 while Long Beach hit .194.

Game four showed the Nittany Lions that Long Beach wasn’t going to let game three bother them. They stormed out to a 0-4 lead but PSU took the punch and tied at 5. Long Beach, however, started to pull away with a point here and a point there and before we knew it they had another 18-23 lead. PSU closed to 21-23 after a Beach service error and hitting error and an Anderson kill, but Long Beach extended their lead to 24-28. A kill by Sweitzer and a Lipsitz stuff made it 26-28, but a Long Beach stuff gave them game point at 26-29. A Long Beach serving error and kills from Sweitzer and Anderson tied the game at 29! Then, on a desperation dig from Sweitzer somehow Murray directed the ball to Anderson and Matty just missed down the line to give the Beach a 29-30 lead which they ended on a kill for a 29-31 win. Game four leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Points – 6.5), Holt (Blocks – 2), Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Murray (Digs – 5). PSU hit .152 to the 49’ers’ .324.

Game five would be our first of the season. Both teams exhibited the ability to drag themselves off the canvas after absorbing body blows from each other. We expected a knock-down drag-out game five. PSU did the initial knocking down as we gained a 6-1 lead on a Sweitzer kill, a Holt/Sweitzer stuff and a mis-connected set by Long Beach. There was a PSU serving error after a Beach timeout but a Holt kill, Sweitzer ace and a Holt/Murray/Anderson stuff block forced another Long Beach timeout. At 7-3 a Long Beach service error was followed by a Lipsitz/Murray stuff, a Holt ace and then a Holt error…which may have caught the 49’er passer as it sailed by him. The score was 10-4 but sometimes when a break is caught it can breathe new life into a team. The 49’ers refused to go down for the count and they started landing some haymakers. They closed to 13-10 and I felt like we were just trying to hang on to the final bell but an Anderson kill got us to match point at 14-10, but a Long Beach kill gave them the sideout at 14-11. PSU overpassed the serve and Long Beach made us pay for it with another kill 14-12. After a PSU timeout, we overpassed another serve but this time as Long Beach ran their offense Holt and Anderson combined for a match ending stuff block for a 15-12 win. Game five leaders were Holt (Kills – 2; Blocks – 3; Aces – 1; Digs - 2; Points – 4.5), Sweitzer (Kills – 2; Aces – 1) and Anderson (Kills – 2). PSU hit .308 while Long Beach hit .143.

WOW, WHAT A MATCH!! I thought both teams showed a lot of the heart that we both have. It was a match that tested, and probably developed, the character that both programs will call upon as they head down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. Players from each team came up big with outstanding efforts and I hope no volleyball fan went away disappointed. Match leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 24; Points – 29.5), Holt (Blocks – 9), Sweitzer (Aces – 3) and Murray (Digs – 11). PSU out-hit Long Beach .375 to .289; out-blocked them 14 to 10; out-aced them 7 to 3 and out-dug them 38-30. I have no doubt that we may see them again this year!

The Active Ankle/Guesthouse Classic is so well run by the Long Beach staff. We need to give great thanks to Long Beach ass’t AD Mark Edrington and the great Long Beach coaching staff! Alan Knipe and Andy Read are not only two of the finest coaches in the game but two of the best men in the game. Our friendship is something that is very special to both staffs. As I have said in the past, the only bad thing about PSU and Long Beach is the distance separating the two schools!

And as a side note, during the IFPW – Cal Baptist match our guys recognized one of the “soda shakers” from the previous evening. They yelled to him and asked if he was shaking any more soda. He responded with a smile and a big fist pump to them! Not much gets past our guys!!

We are on the landing path to Philadelphia so I will close for now as we get ready to enjoy an off weekend and prepare for our last EIVA Tait match down at Juniata on 3/25.

Thanks to all the parents and Orange County PSU Alumni members who kept the Pyramid feeling a little like Rec Hall for us this weekend. We certainly appreciate all of your support!


All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #25 - 3/15/08

Greetings from Long Beach!

Tonight the Nittany Lions opened the Active Ankle/Guesthouse Classic with a 30-21, 30-27, 30-26 win against the Cal Baptist Lancers. We arrived Wednesday afternoon and have had three practices out here. We managed to shake off the travel rust in the past couple of days and the McCoy’s opened their home to the team last evening. Thanks you so much for your hospitality! Also thanks to the Foltz’s who set up a tailgate in between matches tonight for all the PSU faithful. We had a great time.

Last year we faced the Lancers and they kicked our butts in three games. The have some pretty good arms and we knew we had to play well.

Game one was tied at 4 when a Lancer hitting error, Holt kill and Anderson ace gave PSU the 7-4 lead. At 13-10, a Holt kill, Sweitzer ace, Anderson kill and Holt kill moved the lead to 17-10. PSU held the lead and a Lipsitz kill finished the game at 30-21. PSU leaders were Holt (Kills – 5; Blocks – 2; Points – 6), Anderson (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1; Points – 6), Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 4). PSU hit .406 to CBU’s .194.

Game two was tied at 7 when a Lipsitz/Murray stuff, Holt ace and Murray kill gave PSU the lead at 10-7. CBU stayed close and at 24-23, kills by Holt and Murray gave the Lions some breathing room at 26-23. The teams traded sideouts from there and a CBU service error ended game two 30-27. Game two Nittany Lion leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Points – 6), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Holt (Aces – 1) and Stauffer (Digs – 4). PSU hit .323 while CBU hit .423.

Game three was tied at 13 before two kills from Lipsitz gave the lead to PSU at 15-13 and PSU settled into a good sideout rhythm. CBU could only score one more point with their serve which closed the score to 26-23, but an Anderson kill ended that threat. At 29-26, Sweitzer pounded a kill off the block and into the tenth row of the bleachers to end the game 30-26. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Digs – 4; Points – 7), Murray (Blocks – 1) and Sweitzer (Aces – 1). PSU hit .382 while CBU hit .214.

So we faced a good team and passed the ball well. Our defense was solid and we managed to turn the majority of our opportunities into points. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 17; Blocks – 2; Points – 19), Holt and Murray (Blocks – 2), Sweitzer (Aces – 2) and Stauffer (Digs – 7). PSU out-hit CBU .371 to .271; out-blocked them 5 to 4; out-aced them 4 to 2, and out-dug them 31 to 24.

One of the great things about being on the bench is every so often our guys will come up with something said that just makes one realize these are college guys who enjoy competition and each other and who, at times, do let their minds wander from the game. In the third game, up on the mezzanine level, two college age guys (obviously concession workers) were wheeling several cases of soda toward their stand. As the play is going on, mind you, I haven’t seen the soda haulers since the mezzanine level is up about 30 steps from floor level, I hear Alan Mars scream from the end of our bench: “Hey, don’t shake the soda!!!!” He is pointing to the soda guys and sure enough they are pulling out a few bottles as they are walking along and shaking them vigorously and putting them back into the cases. Our guys may not know when they are to go into the match but they certainly don’t miss much!!

We face the #3 ranked Long Beach 49’ers tomorrow evening. The only guarantee to be made is that the Pyramid will be loud and the volleyball should be great! Every time the Nittany Lions and the 49’ers have faced each other there have been some great matches. They serve and pass well and their offense is very dynamic. It should be fun and give us some things that we can work on through the rest of the season.

I’ll be back to you after the match tomorrow evening!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys

 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #24 - 3/8/08

Greetings from the second seat behind the driver!

The Nittany Lions rebounded from last night’s match to defeat the Princeton Tigers 30-24, 30-17, 26-30, 30-25 in Dillon Gym. Prior to the match, Princeton made a special presentation to long-time head coach Glenn Nelson. Glenn became the winningest coach ever at Princeton earlier this year and was recognized by them. To those who know Glenn it was no surprise that his success put him in such lofty stature; no, the surprise came when he coached in a coat (Armani, of course) and a tie and sweater. He looked very much the collegiate coach at Princeton!

On our side of the net I wanted to see how we came out after last evening. The concern which I had was that since we easily handled Princeton at home earlier in the year, they would allow us to win the match with little effort expended by us. Princeton historically gets better as the season wears on and I wanted to see us tested a bit more today.

Game one was tied at 11 when kills from Anderson and Holt sandwiched a Tiger hitting error for a 14-11 lead. At 23-20, two Anderson kills and a Murray kill made it 26-20. A Princeton service error ended the match at 30-24. Game one leaders for PSU were Sweitzer (Kills – 5; Blocks – 1; Aces – 1) and Anderson (Kills – 5; Aces – 1; Digs – 3). PSU hit .467 while the Tigers hit .367.

Game two had Princeton up 6-7 but kills from Holt and Anderson preceded two Holt aces. Stauffer kept the run going with a kill and Holt finished it with his third ace. PSU was leading 12-7. At 25-16, three Tiger hitting errors stretched the lead to 28-16. The teams traded sideouts and Sweitzer ended the match with an ace for a 30-17 win. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6), Lipsitz (Blocks – 3), Holt (Aces – 3; Digs - 2) and Sweitzer (Digs – 2). PSU hit .750 while Princeton hit .200.

Game three was tied at 16 after a Stauffer ace, but after a Princeton kill, two Princeton aces and a PSU hitting error the lead went to the Tigers 16-20. PSU couldn’t close the score and a PSU service error ended game three. Leaders for the game were Anderson (Kills – 7), Lipsitz and Holt (Blocks – 2), Stauffer (Aces – 1) and Murray (Digs – 3). PSU hit .324 while the Tigers hit .406.

Game four was tied at 7 when kills from Anderson and Holt and a solo block by Murray gave PSU the 10-7 lead. The teams traded sideouts then Lipsitz had a solo block and Lipsitz and Sweitzer combined on a block then Princeton hit a ball long and PSU was up 13-8. But the Tigers came roaring back to close to 13-12. Anderson gave us two kills before a Tiger kill then Sweitzer, Anderson and two Holt kills gave PSU the lead 19-13. PSU held the lead and at 29-25 Princeton served the ball into the net to end the match 30-25. Game four leaders were Anderson (Kills – 11), Holt and Murray (Blocks – 2), Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Stauffer (Digs – 3). PSU hit .394 with Princeton hitting .296.

So we managed to shake a little of the malaise that crept into our game in game three. Princeton started to play better and hung with us through the beginning of game four but we weathered the storm and took control of the match. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 29), Lipsitz (Blocks – 8), Sweitzer and Holt (Aces – 3) and Stauffer (Digs – 7). PSU out-hit the Tigers .453 to .325; out-blocked them 13 to 4; out-dug them 35 to 20 and out-aced them 9 to 6.

We now head back to a spring break-deserted PSU to get a couple of good training days in prior to leaving for Long Beach. We will have Cal Baptist on Friday evening in the Active Ankle Guesthouse Tournament at the Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach. Then Saturday we will faced the 49’ers! It’ll be two evenings of great competition. We need to get better or we will be embarrassed by these two teams! I am looking forward to this week. I’ll be back to you from Long Beach!


All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys

 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #23 - 3/8/08

Greetings from Fairfax, VA! The George Mason Patriots defeated the Nittany Lions tonight in a tough four game match23-30, 22-30, 30-17, 31-33.The George Mason Fieldhouse has been the temporary home for the Patriots this year as the old PE Building is undergoing a renovation that will render it the home site for volleyball and wrestling. There were around 1200 people in the building. It was standing room only! What an environment for a collegiate event!

Game one had the Patriots come out slugging. They open with a 0-5 lead as we could not get a pass within fifteen feet of the net. The rout was on! They eventually ran the score up to 17-27 as they were doing everything superbly and we were just trying to hang on by our fingertips. The best we could do was to close to 23-29 but a GMU stuff block ended game one 23-30. Nittany Lion leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Points - 6), Holt (Blocks – 2; Aces -1) and Sweitzer (Digs – 3). PSU hit .160 while GMU hit .308.

Game two was tied at 8 when a Mason kill, block and kill preceded a PSU hitting error for an 8-12 GMU lead. They then added four more points for an 11-18 lead and they kept that seven point cushion to 22-29 when a GMU kill ended the game 22-30. Game leaders for the Lions were Anderson (Kills – 6; Points – 6.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2) and Sweitzer, Stauffer and Del Valle (Digs – 1). PSU hit .241 while GMU hit .522.

This was the first time we have had the two-by-four of competitive reality hit us across the face and we were reeling. GMU was firing on all cylinders. They were serving tough and their block and defense were giving them opportunities which they were converting. This was bringing the crowd into the match and fueling Mason. How would we react? We were not playing well but could we right the ship?

Game three was close early and PSU held the 15-13 when kills by Anderson and Sweitzer was followed by a GMU hitting error for an 18-13 lead. With PSU up 21-17, an Anderson kill got the ball back for Holt to serve and a 22-17 lead. Holt led off with an ace. Anderson followed with a kill. Holt served another ace. GMU hit a ball long. Stauffer had a kill and Sweitzer followed with two of his own and finally GMU committed another hitting error to close out game three 30-17. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 10; Digs – 2; Points – 12), Holt (Aces – 3) and Sweitzer and Stauffer (Digs – 2). PSU hit .429 while GMU hit .083. So we seemed to turn the corner and in this match where the three games were all lopsided scores it seemed as if both teams had settled down and game four was going to be the key game.

Game four began with PSU picking up right we left off and a 9-4 lead, but a GMU ace tied it at 13 and the game was on! Neither team could gain more than a one point lead until a GMU kill made the score 24-26. The teams traded sideouts and at 27-25 a GMU serving error and a Lipsitz/Sweitzer/Stauffer triple block tied it at 27. PSU had a swing to go up one but GMU stuffed the swing. At 28-all, PSU had another swing to go up but hit the ball long. At 31-31, two GMU kills ended the match 31-33. Game four leaders were Anderson (Kills – 12; Points – 12), Holt and Sweitzer (Blocks – 2) and Murray (Digs – 6). PSU hit .238 while GMU hit .225.

What isn’t shown in the box score is the number of opportunities we created to score a real point and take a lead or extend a lead. We squandered two overpass opportunities, made three poor second contacts off of digs or just didn’t hit the court with a swing. So how did we bounce back? We put ourselves in position to win but just couldn’t finish. GMU deserves the bulk of the praise for raising their level of play in game four and making our lack of conversions very costly. We just didn’t carry on a high level of execution when we needed. We will learn from this and get better because of this. Match leaders for PSU were Anderson (Kills – 34; Points – 36.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 4), Holt (Aces – 4) and Murray and Del Valle (Digs – 8). PSU was out-hit .274 to .266 and out-blocked 16 to 7.5. We out-dug them 35 to 21 and both teams had six aces.

So the process continues tomorrow as we head to Princeton, NJ to face the Princeton Tigers. How we come out to compete will be the first step in the rest of the season. Princeton defeated Saint Francis tonight in four games and we have backed into clinching the EIVA Tait Division. With only two matches remaining in the Tait the worst we can finish is 9-3. The best Saint Francis or GMU can finish is 9-3 and we hold the tiebreaker over both of those teams so we are hosting the EIVA semifinals and finals on April 24 and 26 this year. But we have some tough matches coming up and it begins tomorrow with Princeton. I’ll be back to you from the bus tomorrow after the match.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #22 - 3/3/08

Greetings from Rec Hall! The Nittany Lions magic number is 1! A PSU EIVA Tait win or a Saint Francis EIVA Tait loss and the Nittany Lions clinch the 2008 EIVA Tait regular season championship and the right to host the EIVA semifinals and finals on Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26. To move to this stage the Nittany Lions defeated the NJIT Highlanders Saturday evening 30-20, 30-24, 30-22 in the South Gym.

NJIT had played hard when we faced them at their place about a month ago and we knew they would come out fighting. They also brought a busload of their fans who were absolutely great at their place for them. During the warm-ups they helped to get South Gym noisy! Our fans responded to their fans and the Nittany Lion faithful certainly turned up the volume for us.

Game one saw the Highlanders come out flying high and after a NJIT ace the Lions were down 1-5. The one impressive characteristic this team seems to have is the ability to remain cool under fire. Looking at them at that time, one could not tell we were down by four. The teams traded sideouts and a kill by Holt was followed by a NJIT hitting error and then a Holt/Stauffer stuff moved the score to 5-6. PSU eventually tied it at 8 on another NJIT hitting error. With the game at 14-14, an Anderson kill, NJIT hitting error and a Lipsitz kill moved the score to 17-14. When a NJIT serving error made the score 18-15 another NJIT hitting error preceded an Anderson kill, another NJIT hitting error, a Stauffer ace and two more NJIT errors gave PSU a 24-15 lead. A Murray kill ended the game at 30-20. PSU leaders were Holt (Kills – 4; Blocks – 1; Points – 4.5), Anderson (Kills – 4; Digs – 3), Stauffer (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .542 to NJIT’s .032.

Game two began and we knew that we couldn’t count on another NJIT meltdown to give us a cushion. At 3-3, Holt came up with a kill. That was followed by an Anderson kill and a Holt ace for a 6-3 lead. At 15-11, kills from Anderson and Sweitzer and a Lipsitz/Sweitzer stuff were followed by a NJIT hitting error and another Anderson kill for a 20-11 lead. NJIT didn’t back off and they closed to 27-23 but a Sweitzer kill stemmed that tide to 28-23 and the teams traded sideouts. At 29-24, a Lipsitz/Sweitzer/Anderson triple block ended game two 30-24. Nittany Lion leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 6; Blocks – 3; Points – 7.5), Anderson (Kills – 6; Digs – 4), Lipsitz (Blocks – 3) and Holt (Aces – 1). PSU hit .303 while the Highlanders hit .115.

Game three had PSU doubling up NJIT 10-5 and at 14-8 an Anderson kill started a PSU run. It was followed by two Holt/Murray/Anderson triple blocks for a 17-8 lead. NJIT could only come as close as 26-20. At 29-22, the last NJIT hitting error closed out the match 30-22. Game three leaders were Holt (Kills – 6; Blocks – 3; Points – 7.5), Anderson (Kills – 6) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .682 while holding the Highlanders to .107.

The match seemed to follow the same storyline as previous EIVA matches: close early, PSU pulls away in the middle third of the game and holds the lead through the final third of the game. I would not be surprised if we see the Highlanders in the EIVA playoffs. They play hard and have some live arms! They could do some damage in the EIVA playoffs. We responded well to their opening salvo and the energy in South Gym. Match leaders for the Lions were Anderson (Kills – 16; Digs – 8; Points – 17.5), Holt (Blocks – 5; Aces – 1) and Stauffer (Aces – 1). The Nittany Lions out-hit the Highlanders .481 to .082; out-blocked them 9.5 to 3; out-dug them 23 to 17 and both teams had two aces.

Now we prepare to hit the road to George Mason and Princeton this coming weekend. GMU always plays tough at their place. Now that the PE Building is being refurbished we will play in the Fieldhouse…not the Patriot Center…so that will be different. After that Friday match we will stay in Fairfax and head to Princeton Saturday morning for a 4 PM first serve against the Tigers. We look forward to clinching the home court advantage for the EIVA semis and finals this weekend. I’ll be back to you with the updates after the matches!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #21 - 3/1/08

Greetings from the Rec Hall Office! The Nittany Lions moved to 8-0 in the EIVA Tait Division last night with a 30-13, 30-22, 30-20 win over the East Stroudsburg Warriors. From about 1 PM yesterday afternoon the snow was coming down on Central PA and at about 5 PM some local roads were closed as crews were trying to clean-up some weather-induced accidents. Several of our local officiating crew were caught in the traffic jams but managed to make it into Rec Hall…as all good officials seem to do even if it means hoofing it from Dominos on North Atherton Street in the snow as Marty Halmo had to do. We tip our hats to the efforts of all the officials and what they do for the game.

We had played ESU nine days ago at their place and felt, as we did then, if we take care of the ball on our side of the net we would force them to play at a pretty high level for a long time to beat us. I felt they would come into Rec Hall with a loose, nothing-to-lose attitude. We needed a good start.

Game one gave us that good start as we were up 7-3 but ESU closed to 9-7 but from that point on we outscored them 21-6. It began with an Anderson kill, a Stauffer ace and another Anderson kill for a 12-7 lead and it ended with a stretch at 25-13 when a Sweitzer kill, Lipsitz/Anderson stuff another Stauffer ace, ESU hitting error and a Lipsitz kill gave game one to the Nittany Lions 30-13. Game one leaders for the Nittany Lions were Holt (Kills – 5; Points – 6), Anderson (Blocks – 3), Stauffer (Aces – 2; Digs – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .500 to ESU’s -.087.

Game two had the Lions up 10-7 when two Lipsitz kills sandwiched a Stauffer kill for a 13-7 lead. Then after two ESU attack errors moved the lead to 18-9 PSU cruised to a 29-22 lead when an ESU serving error ended game two 30-22. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 8; Aces – 1; Digs – 2; Points – 9), Holt (Aces – 1; Blocks – 1), Foltz, Pereira and Sherrick (Blocks – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .583 to ESU’s .048.

Game three had Foltz setting with Mars at opposite, Lipsitz and Sherrick in the middle and Pereira and Ambrose outside with Wagner in as libero. This group got off to a 5-2 lead and never let up! At 15-11, a two Mars kills and a Lipsitz/Ambrose stuff made the score 18-11. The teams traded sideouts and an ESU hitting error was followed by an Ambrose backrow kill, an Ambrose ace, a Pereira kill and another Ambrose ace for a 24-12 lead. ESU chipped away at the lead but it was too little too late when an Ambrose kill ended the match 30-20. Game three leaders were Mars (Kills – 7; Points – 7), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Ambrose (Aces – 2) and Wagner (Digs – 3). PSU hit .542 while the Warriors hit .103.

So the match provided some great time for the guys who don’t start and I was very pleased that they continued with the effort and focus that existed in the first game-and-a-half…they started to enter the match halfway through game two. Plays were being made with supreme effort on every rally. It was fun to watch! Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 10; Blocks – 3; Aces – 2; Points 13.5), Lipsitz and Holt (Blocks – 3), Stauffer and Ambrose (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 4). PSU out-hit the Warriors .542 to .027; out-blocked them 7 to 4; out-aced them 9 to 2 and out-dug them 17 to 14.

We continue our EIVA schedule tonight with a match against NJIT in South Gym. The Highlanders played us tough in the match at their place about a month ago. I suspect they will want to show that they have improved since that time. Hopefully, we will want to show them the same thing from our side. Luckily, the weather is much, much better today so there shouldn’t be a problem for people getting to Rec Hall tonight!

I’ll be back to you with the update soon! Have a great rest of the weekend!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #20 - 2/25/08

Greetings from the Rec Hall Office!

The Nittany Lions are 7-0 and leading the EIVA Tait Divisions by two games after Saturday’s evening 30-21, 30-13, 30-17 win over the Saint Francis Red Flash. The match was the start of the second round of EIVA Tait play which continues over the next two weekends as we host East Stroudsburg and NJIT then head on the road to George Mason and Princeton before Spring Break. This is important because we will have the ability to lock up hosting the EIVA’s if we continue to take care of business in the EIVA.

Game one began with Ryan Sweitzer bouncing a kill off the head of the SFU blocker on the first swing of the game then Max Lipsitz served an ace and the SFU made a hitting error for a 3-0 start. At 15-11, a Sweitzer kill, two Anderson kills and two Murray aces preceded the teams trading sideouts but then kills by Anderson and Murray and another SFU hitting error made the score 24-12. SFU claimed four points on an uncharacteristic hitting error streak by the Nittany Lions but at 29-21 a Stauffer kill ended the game 30-21. Game one leaders were Lipsitz (Kills – 5; Points – 6), Anderson (Kills – 5), Holt (Blocks – 2; Points – 6), Murray (Aces – 2) and Sweitzer (Digs – 2). PSU hit .500 to SFU’s .227.

Game two began with kills from Anderson and Lipsitz followed by a Lipsitz/Sweitzer block and a Lipsitz solo block for a 4-0 lead. PSU kept adding to the lead and at 18-9 a SFU service error, Anderson kill, Sweitzer ace and Holt kill gave PSU a 22-9 margin. The teams traded sideouts and PSU scored on a Stauffer kill, Holt/Stauffer block and Murray kill for a 26-10 lead. Matty Anderson closed out game two with a kill for a 30-13 win. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 8; Aces – 1; Points – 9), Holt (Blocks – 2), Stauffer (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1), Sweitzer (Aces – 1) and Murray and Del Valle (Digs – 4). PSU hit .419 to SFU’s .000.

Game three was tied at 4 when an Anderson kill gave the serve to PSU. Two Stauffer overpass kills and two Murray aces made the score 9-4 and PSU didn’t look back. At 11-8 two Anderson kills and two Holt kills and a Murray solo block moved the score to 16-8. PSU settled into our sideout offense and at 29-17 a rally ensued. Matt Anderson dug a ball back over the net that fell in for his final kill of the night and for match point 30-17. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Blocks – 1; Points 6.5), Murray (Blocks – 1; Aces – 2), Holt and Sweitzer (Blocks – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 3). PSU hit .615 for the game while SFU hit .150.

SFU had trailed us in the standings by a game and winning this match gave us the two game advantage over them and GMU. It was an interesting night around the lines of the court as Max Holt had three foot faults during his serving. He has been serving well as of late, but somehow lost a little of his approach awareness during his serve. There were also several really close line calls during the match and it just seemed as if the boundary lines of the court had been feeling left out of the previous matches and decided to play a bigger role in the match! Match leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 19; Points – 21), Holt (Blocks – 5), Murray (Aces – 4) and Del Valle (Digs – 8). PSU out-hit the Red Flash .506 to .116; out-blocked them 9 to 3; out-aced them 10 to 1 and out-dug them 29 to 11.

It has been a long time since the Nittany Lions have played this well for an entire match against EIVA competition. We have had stretches where we would let our focus and intensity wane in the middle of matches and give up points. Outside of our four-hitting-error stretch we maintained our physical level of play and, more importantly, our execution. For example, in third game, Holt served leading 19-10. The ball rattled around our block and Holt made a diving save. The ball was a perfect pass to Murray who set Sweitz. Sweitz buried the ball as he didn’t have a block in front of him. This play all happened in about two seconds. We are playing hard the majority of time. Can we get better? I believe we can and I think the guys are starting to really want to see how good they can actually get. It should be an interesting week in our practice gym!

We get ready to host East Stroudsburg on Friday in Rec Hall and NJIT on Saturday in South Gym. I’ll be back to you after the matches.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #19 - 2/20/08

Greetings from Route 80!

The Nittany Lions are now 6-0 in the EIVA Tait Division after tonight’s 30-21, 30-19, 30-20 win over the East Stroudsburg Warriors. ESU has suffered injuries to two key starters and had some other projected starters run into various problems that have kept them off the court for Coach Dustin Wood. We felt if we took care of the ball when it was on our side of the net we would be in good shape!

Game one had ESU staying within four points until our serving started to give us some separation. As we pulled their setter off the net our block started to touch their swings and our transition game lengthened the lead. Max Holt closed out game one with an ace.

Game two had the Nittany Lions up 15-10 and our block and defense continued to intimidate the Warriors. Foltz, Sherrick, Mars and Pereira entered the game at various points and our execution didn’t fall off a bit. An ESU service error ended game two at 30-19.

Game three had Foltz, Mars, Ambrose, Pereira, Sherrick, Lipsitz and Wagner take the court and establish a 16-9 lead. Mars was taking some very good swings from the rightside and the passers were giving the ball to Foltzy at the net where he was making some very good decisions. The block was led by Sherrick who seemed to touch everything ESU attacked. The match ended on an ESU serve into the net.

I was pleased with the way everyone took the court and maintained a focus on execution. It was a match where our physical advantages took hold and stretched the lead no matter who was on the court for us. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 13), Lipsitz (Blocks – 4), Holt (Aces – 5) and Del Valle (Digs – 4). PSU out-hit ESU .400 to .097; out-blocked them 8.5 to 4; out-aced them 10 to 5 and out-dug them 16 to 12.

The worst part of the evening was an injury…to our video camera. Since ESU does not remove the removable basketball hoops we taped our camera in the crook of the vertical support arm. In game three, ESU served long and the first bounced nailed our camera and knocked it off the support so I guess I will be at Best Buy tomorrow purchasing a new video camera…sigh!

The good thing about tonight is the bus in which we are traveling. It is complete with DirecTV satellite. (We are watching the Lakers – Suns game on ESPN as I type.) and Wi-Fi so I may be able to send this to you while we truly are on Route 80. For those alums who packed themselves in vans this is quite the bus!

And speaking of alums, as I got off the bus and headed into Kohler Fieldhouse someone shouted for me. I turned and greeted none other than Keith Treece. Keith was on his was to New Jersey for a meeting tomorrow and decided to drive from Pittsburgh. He saw we were at ESU and decided to stop in. It was good to catch up with him. Then for thirty minutes I caught up with former ESU coach Bob Sweeney. Coach Sweeney is doing well and is as feisty as ever! It is always great catching up with him. Finally, the DeNures rolled in: Doug and Dave. After the match, Dave and Coach Sweeney approached me about setting up a PSU vs ESU alumni match. No doubt, Guad, Yak and the rest of the Geezers will take the challenge!

So now we head home to get ready for Saturday’s home match with the Saint Francis Red Flash. They currently sit in second place, one game behind the Nittany Lions in the Tait Division. They have improved since we last played them in late January. I look forward to the match and to seeing you in Rec Hall.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #18 - 2/18/08

Once again greetings from the Rec Hall office!

The Nittany Lions have gone to 5-0 in the EIVA Tait Division with a 30-19, 30-16, 33-31 win over the Princeton Tigers Saturday afternoon in front of almost 1600 fans! We had wanted to continue our level of focus and intensity throughout this weekend especially after the start we had to it with the GMU match Friday evening. The guys did not disappoint! Princeton has always gotten better throughout the year and if you can catch them early and have the opportunity to get a win you gotta jump on them.

Game one had PSU up 3-0 and that three point lead was whittled down when a Princeton block made it 13-13. Holt then responded with a kill, then a Holt/Murray stuff, a Holt/Stauffer stuff, Sweitzer kill and Tiger hitting error gave PSU the 18-13 lead. We had settled into our sideout rhythm and kept moving the lead. At 29-19, an Anderson kill ended the game 30-19. Game one leaders were Holt (Kills – 5; Blocks – 3; Points – 6.5); Anderson (Aces – 1; Digs – 2) and Murray (Digs – 2). PSU hit .375 to Princeton’s .036.

Game two began with PSU up 6-2. That four point lead lasted to 11-7 then an Anderson kill, Lipsitz/Anderson stuff, Princeton error, Anderson kill, another Princeton hitting error and a Lipsitz/Sweitzer/Anderson stuff made the score 17-7. PSU stretched the lead to 24-10 then PSU made some hitting errors and Princeton converted on a couple of digs and the lead went to 25-16 but with a Lipsitz kill, Tiger hitting error, Pereira/Lipsitz/Mars stuff, Lipsitz/Mars stuff and a Murray ace game two was ended 30-16. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 6; Points – 7.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 4), Sweitzer and Murray (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU hit .423 to Princeton’s .038.

Game three had Foltz setting with Lipsitz and Sherrick in the middle. The outsides were Ambrose and Pereira with Mars at opposite and Wagner at libero. The Tigers started on a tear and built an 4-11 lead. It is times like this that the guys on the court now need. They need to get hit in the face by the 2 X 4 of competitive reality and they need to figure out how to respond to it. Their response started with an Ambrose kill, Princeton hitting error and an Ambrose/Lipistz/Foltz triple block to close to 7-11 and after another Princeton error later the score was 14-15. The Tigers didn’t roll over. They extended their lead to 18-22 and at 20-23 a Pereira kill, Ambrose/Sherrick/Mars block, two Princeton errors and kills from Ambrose and Pereira gave PSU the lead 26-23. It looked good, but, again, it is times like this that they guys on the court now need. They needed to work hard and wrest the momentum of the match back to their favor…which they did. But now, they needed to realize they must work hard to close out the match…they didn’t. At 28-26, a Princeton kill was followed by two Princeton blocks to gain game point 28-29. A Mars kill tied at 29. At 30-30, PSU turned a real point with a Pereira/Sherrick/Foltz triple block to gain match point 31-30, but the teams traded sideouts to 32-31 until Pereira converted on a Foltz set for a 33-31 win. Game three leaders were Mars (Kills – 6; Points – 6.5), Pereira (Kills – 6; Points – 6.5), Ambrose, Foltz and Sherrick (Blocks – 2), Lipsitz (Aces – 1) and Wagner (Digs – 4). PSU hit .326 to Princeton’s .250.

So the match continued where we left off Friday evening and it gave some of the reserves the opportunity to feel what it was like to be in a tough game with them solely responsible for the outcome. I was very proud of the effort of everybody in game three. They have to be ready. They are only one play away from having to be on the court and the more I can get them into situations where they have to figure out how to compete over time, the better off the entire team will be! Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 9; Points 11.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 5), Mars (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU out-hit the Tigers .366 to .128; out-blocked them 14 to 10.5; out-aced them 6 to 0, and out-dug them 23 to 21.

Now we prepare for the EIVA Tait opponent we haven’t seen yet. We head to East Stroudsburg Wednesday evening. For those PSU MVB Alums who remember the “barracks” building of the ESU gym, rest assured it hasn’t changed much since the days of Dave DeNure and Mike “Sarge” Krause! The gym will be loud and packed and we will be facing a team who may be a little desperate. The have lost two starters to injuries and are clawing to make sure they stay in the Tait Division next year. We will be ready!

Be back to you from route 80 after the match!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #17 - 2/16/08

Greetings from the Rec Hall office!

Last night the Nittany Lions went to 4-0 in EIVA Tait Division play by defeating the visiting George Mason Patriots 30-20, 30-19, 30-24 in front of 1214 people in the South Gym.

We knew that GMU was a dangerous team. We knew it by experience. They had defeated us in Buffalo, NY this past November. We came back from that match realizing that they could block and had some live arms on their outside hitters which could challenge our block and defense. We also have had some outstanding practices in the last ten days and the guys felt pretty good going into last night’s match.

Game one began with PSU up 3-0 which held to 10-7 when an Anderson kill was followed by a Holt/Sweitzer block and a Holt/Sweitzer/Anderson block for a 13-7 lead. That seven point lead held to 27-20 when kills from Anderson and Lipsitz put us at game point. A GMU hitting error closed out the game 30-20. Game one leaders for the Nittany Lions were Anderson (Kills – 9; Points – 9.5), Holt (Blocks – 2; Aces – 1), Sweitzer (Blocks – 2; Digs - 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .444 to GMU’s .038.

Game two had PSU gain a three point advantage to 11-8 then another Anderson kill, GMU hitting error, yet another Anderson kill and a Lipsitz/Sweitzer stuff moved the score to 15-8. PSU moved the advantage to ten points with our defense and transition game. Murray was not only doing a good job with our sideout offense he was making some outstanding decisions when we created chances off of their offense. At 28-19, a GMU serving error was followed by a Lipsitz/Murray block for a 30-19 win. Game two Lion leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 5; Aces – 1; Digs – 1; Points – 7), Lipsitz and Murray (Blocks – 3; Digs – 1) and Anderson (Digs – 1). PSU hit .636 while holding GMU to .000.

Game three had me thinking that GMU had been in some tough five game matches in the last two weeks and that we needed to come out slugging. At 6-5 we got a kill from Anderson, then a GMU hitting error and a Stauffer ace for a 9-5 lead. The lead was stretched when at 18-12 Anderson put a ball away, Holt and Anderson combined on the block and Holt had a kill for a 21-12 lead. GMU kept fighting and closed the lead to 28-24 but a Holt kill and an Anderson kill closed out the match 30-24. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Blocks – 1; Aces – 1; Digs – 4; Points – 8.5), Holt (Blocks – 1) and Stauffer (Aces – 1). PSU hit .500 while GMU hit .385.

PSU managed to maintain the focus and intensity displayed in last weekend’s matches. I would be remiss if I didn’t laud the efforts of the non-starters! They are pushing our starters in practice to their limits! There have been some absolute wars going on in our gym that not only make the team better but are fun to watch. If we can keep this up improvement will certainly occur as we head down the backstretch of the season. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 21; Aces – 1; Digs – 5; Points – 24), Holt (Blocks – 5; Aces – 1) and Sweitzer, Stauffer and Murray (Aces – 1). PSU out-hit GMU .519 to .141; out-blocked them 9.5 to 4.5; out-dug them 20 to 16 and out-aced them 5 to 2.

Now we continue the EIVA stretch by hosting the Princeton Tigers this afternoon. Princeton returns all except a middle from last year where we faced them in the EIVA semi-finals. They will be a gritty team that we will need to be very physical against. I’ll be back to let you know how it goes!

By the way, if you would like to know what is going on within the EIVA please click on to www.eivavolleyball.com. It contains league results, upcoming matches, stats and more.

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #16 - 2/10/08

Hello again from sun-drenched Happy Valley!

The snows and clouds have abated on this Sunday morning and it is crystal clear and almost blinding with the snow that is on the ground. Perfect weather for the way the weekend competition ended last evening as the Nittany Lions defeated the IFPW Mastodons 30-20, 30-22, 30-20. We knew that we would have our hands full with IFPW’s outside hitter C.J. Macias and his teammates but we also felt if we played focused volleyball they could have their hands full with us.

As the crowd of nearly 3000 was settling into their seats, we managed to turn a couple of early points but so did IFPW and the score was 14-14. Lipsitz put a ball away then an IFPW error, a Lipsitz/Anderson block and another IFPW error took the lead to 18-14 and the Nittany Lions started to string together multiple points while only failing to sideout once from that point of the game. The game stood at 26-20 when two Sweitzer kills and a Sweitzer/Sherrick/Lipsitz stuff brought us to game point and an IPFW hitting error ended the game 30-20. Game one leaders were Anderson (Kills – 8; Digs – 2; Points – 8.5) and Lipsitz (Blocks – 3; Aces – 1). PSU hit .516 to IFPW’s .179.

Game two had PSU down 4-6 when Max Holt went to work. He put a ball away to get the serve then went back and “turkeyed” the Mastodons. A “Turkey” as in bowling is three consecutive strikes in the tenth frame and it was adapted by former PSU MVB manager Seth Rappaport several years ago for three consecutive aces. Holt served three consecutive aces with some great serving to erase the deficit for an 8-6 lead. PSU kept the two point advantage to 16-14 when…guess who…went back to serve. Yep, Holt again. After an IFPW misconnection from setter to hitter, Holt bombed another ace then a Lipsitz/Stauffer/Murray triple block made the score 19-14. PSU again kept the five point lead to 27-22 when a Sweitzer kill got the ball back for PSU and sent Holt, yep, him again, back to the service line at 28-22. Another Holt ace was followed by a Sweitzer kill to close out game two 30-22. Game two leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 7), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Holt (Aces – 5; Points - 8) and Stauffer (Digs – 3). PSU hit .714 to IPFW’s .360.

After a really quick locker room meeting after game two, the guys came back to the court to help honor our NCAA Champion women’s team. They were being recognized in front of the crowd for their remarkable 2007 run. Seeing the our team applauding and supporting the efforts and achievement of our female counterparts really made me very proud of Penn State Volleyball…both the men and the women! Congrats to them!

Once we got back to business in game three, we started scoring in bunches; two points on Holt’s serve, two points on Stauffer’s serve, four points on Lipsitz serve and at 20-12 and Anderson serving we had Stauffer put a ball away and two IFPW errors for a 23-12 lead. At 29-20, Alan Mars put away match point for a 30-20 win. Game three leaders were Sweitzer (Kills – 4; Blocks – 2; Points - 5), Anderson (Kills – 4; Points – 17.5) and Stauffer (Digs – 3). PSU hit .458 while IFPW hit .138.

We were pretty efficient and clean with our offense tonight. Luke Murray was being comfortably unpredictable and it wasn’t until 12-8 in game three that IFPW recorded their first block of the match. Our passers had settled in well and allowed our offense to run smoothly as three hitters (Anderson, Sweitzer and Holt) recorded double-digit kill totals. It was a fun match for us in front of a great crowd! Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 16; Points – 17.5), Lipsitz (Blocks – 5), Holt (Aces – 5) and Stauffer (Digs – 7). PSU out-hit IPFW .553 to .220; out-blocked them 9 to 3; out-aced them 6 to 4 and out-dug them 17 to 14.

After the match, players, staff, parents, friends and a certain assistant from the University of Hawaii gathered at the Autoport Motel for a great buffet. We would like to thank Lisa and Don Murray for spearheading the social coordination! Many parents were in attendance and it was a great event for the guys…and even that assistant coach from Hawaii. Yes, Tino Reyes has braved the cold of central Pennsylvania this weekend as he flew in to take a look at the players in the juniors tournament here and I finally get to repay a little to Tino for his hospitality to us over the many Outriggers visits we have made. Tino stayed with Heather, Jack and me…even though Jack didn’t want Tino to ride home with us last evening Jack eventually relented. Tino got to experience bad weather and a deliberate drive on snow covered roads the next morning and saw five deer run through our yard as we left this morning. It is always great spending time with Tino!

So, Craig, Colin and I will spend most of today watching the boys’ tournament then get ready for our first meeting with the George Mason Patriots next Friday in South Gym. GMU upset Ohio State in five last evening down in Fairfax. It is shaping up to be another very good Patriot – Nittany Lion match up. I hope you can make it to Rec Hall! If not, I’ll be back to you next weekend!

All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #15 - 2/9/08

Greetings again from Rec Hall!

The Nittany Lions opened up our annual volleyball celebration weekend with a 30-26, 30-19, 30-22 win against the Loyola Ramblers last night in South Gym in front of 1792 standing room only crowd. The volleyball celebration weekend has been a staple in PA volleyball since the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association clinic has been held in State College. This goes back to approximately 1988. Also, USAV holds a junior boys’ national qualifier here on campus which Scott and Rose Atkinson administer. This year there are 64 18-and-under teams and 38 17-and-under teams participating in the tournament. Obviously, that gives us the opportunity to watch a lot of guys play without having to fly around the east coast. It also creates a great environment in which to play a collegiate match as the teams come back from their tournament day to watch the match! It is a ton of work for Scott and Rose and for the PVCA but what a celebration of men’s volleyball!

With South gym packed to the gills, the first game saw Loyola take a 12-14 lead but an Anderson kill, Rambler error and Sweitzer ace gained the lead back for the Nittany Lions at 15-14. At 16-16, a Holt kill, Rambler hitting error, Holt ace and another Rambler hitting error made the lead 20-16. PSU held that lead to 24-20 after a Sweitzer kill. Then a Holt/Anderson stuff preceded two Sweitzer aces for a 27-20 lead. Loyola, the gritty team that they always are, brought it back to 29-26 but an Anderson kill ended game one 30-26. Game one leaders were Anderson (Kills – 5; Blocks – 2; Points – 7), Holt (Blocks – 2), Sweitzer (Aces – 4) and Stauffer and Murray (Digs – 2). PSU hit .318 while Loyola hit .160.

Game two had the Ramblers gain a 5-10 advantage. PSU closed to 9-11 on a Lipsitz kill, and then an Anderson kill was sandwiched around two rambler hitting errors for a 12-11 Lion lead. PSU kept increasing the lead and at 24-18 a Lipsitz kill gave the serve to Travis Foltz. His serving kept the Ramblers off the net and resulted in three consecutive stuff blocks for the Nittany Lions. The first was Holt/Anderson; the second was an Anderson solo block and the third was a Holt solo block leading to a 28-18 lead. Anderson ended the game with a kill for a 30-19 win. Game two leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Aces – 1; Points – 9.5), Holt (Blocks – 3) and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .524 while holding Loyola to a -.125 hitting percentage.

Game three had PSU jump out to a 15-7 lead which was stretched to 20-12 after a Holt ace. At 29-22, an Anderson kill ended the match at 30-22. Game three leaders were Anderson (Kills – 7; Points – 7), Holt and Lipsitz (Aces – 1) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU hit .345 while the Ramblers hit .323.

The match had us playing some good to very good volleyball. Our serving kept the Rambler offense off of the net and our block and defense did a good job making plays. We also did a very good job of making no plays! We had great awareness of the sidelines and endlines and let them serve and hit out-of-bounds. There was great energy in the gym and our team responded to it. It was a fun match. Match leaders were Anderson (Kills – 19; Points – 23.5), Holt (Blocks – 5), Sweitzer (Aces – 4) and Del Valle (Digs – 7). PSU out-hit Loyola .389 to .114; out-blocked them 8 to 5; out-dug them 21 to 12 and out-aced them 9 to 4.

So we are now getting ready for Coach Arnie Ball’s IPFW Mastodons. They will be ready to go, no doubt! C.J. Macias is one of the most dynamic outside hitters in the country and we will have our hands full with him. Hopefully, we will see you in the gym soon! I’ll be back to you after the tonight’s match.


All the best,
Pav, Craig, Colin and the guys
 

PSU MVB Update Vol. 11 Issue #14 - 2/6/08

Greetings from Rec Hall!

Last evening the Nittany Lions moved to 3-0 in the EIVA Tait Division with a 30-21, 30-22, 30-20 win over the Juniata Eagles. We did a pretty good job of using our advantage in the middle to overpower them. This was their first road trip and going from the gym Kennedy Sports & Rec Center on the Juniata campus that is compact to the cavernous Main gym I am sure played a role last night. They are young and they will be better the next time we see them.

Game one was at 3-2 when a Holt kill, Holt/Murray stuff, two more kills from Holt made it 7-2. Then at 10-4, a Lipsitz kill, two aces from Murray and a Sweitzer kill pushed the score to 13-4. The Nittany Lions did not let up and at 29-21 a JC hitting error gave game one to PSU at 30-21. Game one leaders were Holt (Kills – 6), Murray (Blocks – 2; Aces - 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 5). PSU hit .375 while JC hit .000.

Game two saw JC with the lead at 13-12…nine of their points came from our hitting and serving errors. The guys refocused after our timeout and starting serving sharper and our offense started to hit a stride that we expected. After the TO, there was a JC serving error then an ace from Holt and kill from Anderson to get the lead back to 15-13. At 18-16, a Lipsitz kill was followed by a Sweitzer kill, a Lipsitz ace and a Holt kill for a 22-16 lead. PSU sided out the rest of the way and at 29-22 a JC hitting error ended the game 30-22. The Nittany Lion leaders were Anderson (Kills – 5), Sweitzer (Blocks – 2), Holt and Lipsitz (Aces – 1) and Stauffer, Murray and Del Valle (Digs – 2). PSU hit .400 while holding JC to .083.

After the break, we came out in game three with Foltz setting, Sherrick and Holt in the middle, Sweitzer at opposite and Pereira and Ambrose at the outside spots. Wagner was the libero. These guys haven’t had many chances to see action but they have been practicing hard for the last five weeks and have been making progress. Sometimes I measure their improvement without regard to the fact that they are doing daily against the likes of Anderson, Murray, Holt, etc. With the score 8-7 kills from Pereira and Sweitzer gave us some breathing room at 10-7. We started to stretch the lead and the passers were handling some pretty good JC serving and Foltzy was running the offense. At 21-16, a kill from Ambrose, stuff from Lipsitz, JC hitting error and a Lipsitz kill gave the Lions a 25-16 lead. At 29-20, a Brad McCoy kill ended the match for the Nittany Lions 30-20. Game three leaders were Pereira (Kills – 3; Digs – 2), Sherrick (Kills – 3; Aces – 1) Holt, and Sweitzer (Kills – 3), Lipsitz (Blocks – 2), Holt (Aces – 1) and McCoy (Digs – 2). PSU hit .448 to .217 for JC.

We weren’t great but we were pretty good…all of the guys who were on the court were pretty good last night. It is just another step in becoming a very good team and when guys get a chance to do well it creates a team confidence that will serve us well as we keep getting into tough battles. I was pleased with the younger guys and how they played in game three. It was fun to watch a couple get their first collegiate kills and digs. They are now collegiate volleyball players! Match leaders for the Nittany Lions were Holt (Kills – 11; Aces – 2), Lipsitz (Blocks – 4), Murray (Aces – 2) and Del Valle (Digs – 7). PSU out-hit the Eagles .407 to .089; out-aced them 7 to 0 and out-dug them 26 to 24. JC out-blocked us 6.5 to 6.

Now we have a MIVA weekend for which to get ready! The Loyola Ramblers are here Friday evening in South Gym and the IFPW Mastodons are in Main Gym Saturday evening. Along with those matches the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association annual clinic will be held in State College Friday and Saturday bringing in 500+ Pennsylvania volleyball coaches and a USAV Junior Boys qualifying tournament for 65+ teams will be on campus Saturday and Sunday. So it will be a busy weekend for us. Hope to see you this weekend. And a word to the wise, if you are planning on attending the Friday night match get there e