PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The
six-day, 12-stop Penn State Coaches Caravan, which covered 1,471 miles with
events in three states and the District of Columbia, wrapped up with visits in
DuBois (lunch) and Pittsburgh (dinner) on Thursday.
In all, 4,345 fans and alums attended Coaches Caravan events during the past
two weeks. Nittany Lion men's hockey coach Guy Gadowsky joined Bill O'Brien and Mark
Pavlik for the final day of the caravan tour.
Gadowsky, who will enter his second Division I season at the helm of the
men's hockey program gave the fans in DuBois and Pittsburgh a glimpse of what
is ahead at Pegula Ice Arena when it opens in the fall. Take a look through some highlights on the
final day of the Caravan.
Stop XI - DuBois (Penn State DuBois) The Penn State-themed Caravan bus traveled 60 miles to DuBois on Thursday
morning for the closest stop to State College on the 12-stop tour. O'Brien, Gadowsky and Pavlik spoke to a lunch
crowd of 170 on the Penn State DuBois campus.
On the heels of the Big Ten announcing its first men's hockey schedule for the
2013-14 season, Gadowsky shared his thoughts on what will be an exciting second
year of competition at the Division I level for the Nittany Lions.
The leader of Penn State men's hockey told the crowd that the program is eagerly
anticipating a move into its new home - Pegula Ice Arena - in early September
before playing its first game in the state-of-the-art facility on Oct. 11. The Nittany Lions will then play their first
Big Ten competition games on Dec. 6-7 at Wisconsin.
"I think what is coming with the Big Ten is really exciting for college hockey
and Penn State," Gadowsky said.
Gadowsky also showed the fans a short video presentation that gave the room a
virtual representation of what a finished Pegula Ice Arena will look like in
the fall.
Coach O'Brien followed Gadowsky and the video presentation, and like the entire
room of fans, was excited about what he saw.
"Did that video get you jacked up about Penn State Hockey, or what?" O'Brien
said.
All three head coaches included remarks about the toughness of the fans and
student-athletes hailing from the surrounding areas to DuBois. All of the fans in the room were among the
core supporters of Penn State's athletic teams, something Gadowsky said was
crucial to his team's success.
"The reason why we had the success we had everywhere we would go is because
everywhere we have phenomenal support," said Gadowsky.
O'Brien ended the 11th stop with parting words that echoed what Gadowsky and
Pavlik both said to the room about the importance of the continued support
moving forward.
"If you leave here with one thing, it should be that we really appreciate what
you do for us," O'Brien said.
VIDEO: DuBois Press Conference with Coaches
O'Brien and Gadowsky
Stop XII: Pittsburgh (Sheraton Station Square)
The Caravan bus made the two-hour drive through Western Pennsylvania to the
final stop of the six-day tour at Pittsburgh's Station Square. With more than 27,000 Penn State alums in
Allegheny County, more than any other county in the world, a night in
Pittsburgh was a great way to cap off the 2013 Caravan.
O'Brien, Gadowsky and Pavlik addressed a crowd of nearly 375 attendees inside
the Sheraton Station Square on the banks of the Monongahela River. Pavlik, who hails from 40 miles east of
Pittsburgh in Derry, took the microphone first and shared his passion for
Pittsburgh and what it meant to be a head coach at Penn State.
"I'm just a kid from Derry living the dream," Pavlik said.
Gadowsky spoke about the great anticipation for the upcoming start to Big Ten men's
hockey competition, and he again showed a video of Pegula Ice Arena. Gadowsky told the crowd that Penn State
Hockey will strive to encourage the best hockey players Pittsburgh has to offer
to attend school in Happy Valley.
A natural when it comes to public speaking, Gadowsky drew a large round of
applause when he sat down after the fans saw firsthand what it will be like to
attend a hockey game in Pegula Ice Arena.
"It's going to be a phenomenal place to watch hockey games," said Gadowsky.
The theme of the 2013 Coaches Caravan focused on fan support. At all 12 stops, Coach O'Brien thanked the
fans for their continued support of Penn State.
That was no different on Thursday night as he spoke for more than 20
minutes in Pittsburgh, spending much of the that time thanking the Penn State
loyalists for everything they do for not just Penn State Football, but all of
Penn State Athletics.
His message was well received at every stop on the tour, and the fans certainly
showed their appreciation with standing ovation after standing ovation for the
leader of Penn State Football.
All in all, the Coaches Caravan was again a resounding success with outstanding
crowds at all 12 stops around Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and the District
of Columbia. A big thank you to the more
than 4,000 loyal Penn Staters who attended stops in 2013.
VIDEO: Pittsburgh Press Conference with
Coaches O'Brien and Gadowsky
Miles Covered on Day One - 203 miles Miles Covered on Day Two - 147 miles
Miles Covered on Day Three - 254 miles Miles Covered on Day Four - 188
miles Miles Covered on Day Five - 377
miles Miles Covered on Day Six - 302 miles
Caravan Final Total - 1,471 miles
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SCRANTON, Pa. - The Penn State Coaches Caravan rolled into Midtown
Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon for a lunch stop in New York City before
heading to Scranton for dinner.
Nittany Lion basketball coach re-joined the Caravan on Wednesday to make it a
four-coach lineup in New York. Chambers,
along with head coaches Bill O'Brien, Charlene Morett and Mark Pavilik all
spoke to a sold out crowd of 220 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Chambers, O'Brien and Pavlik then traveled
west for the Penn State Alumni Association Greater Scranton Chapter dinner in
Dickson City, Pa. Take a look through
some highlights on day five of the Caravan.
Stop IX - New York City (The Edison
Ballroom) Just down the block from Times Square on 47th Street in New York City, a
sold out crowd of 220 supporters packed The Edison Ballroom for the ninth stop
on the tour. Coach Morett joked as she
took the microphone that she felt like she was on Broadway performing and
thanked the crowd for coming to her debut show.
The stage in The Edison Ballroom featured leather, padded armchairs for all of
the coaches to sit in. With that in
mind, Coach Chambers opened up his speech by telling the crowd that he felt
like he was sitting on the set of Johnny Carson. The room erupted into laughter.
Chambers also shared his love for Madison Square Garden, what he called the
mecca of basketball. He coached in The
Garden as an assistant at Villanova.
O'Brien added some lighthearted jabbing with the New York fans about their
professional sports teams.
But all of the joking aside, the New York stop was another good reminder about
the way the athletic department at Penn State truly functions as One Team. All of the coaches support one another. They all get along. And they all understand that a united athletic
department is a strong athletic department.
"We truly support one another," Chambers said.
"That's what Penn State is all about."
And the One Team mantra goes deeper than just the head coaches supporting one
another. It stretches to the fans, like
the 220 in The Edison Ballroom at lunch hour in New York City. The Penn State fans are a big part of why
Penn State Athletics continues to grow together as One Team.
Following the lunch stop in New York, the Caravan bus made a quick stop at
MetLife Stadium for some photos and videos in preparation of Penn State's
season-opener against Syracuse on Aug. 31.
Call 1-800-NITTANY for tickets. VIDEO: New York Press Conference
with Coaches O'Brien and Chambers
Stop X: Scranton (Genetti Manor in Dickson City) Day two of the second week wrapped up in front of the Caravan's largest
crowd. More than 830 Penn State fans
seated at 80 tables crammed into the ballroom at Genetti Manor to welcome a
great group from the Penn State Athletics family. The list of attendees included Scranton
natives Matt McGloin, J.R. Refice and Eric Shrive, Wilkes-Barre product Eugene
Lewis, Director of Athletics Dave Joyner and the voice of the Nittany Lions
Steve Jones.
Prior to dinner, Coach O'Brien signed autographs for a throng of fans that
lined up more than 90 minutes prior to the program began. Fan after fan walked up to Coach O'Brien for
an opportunity to shake hands, take photos and obtain an autograph for more
than an hour. Some offered advice. Some told stories. Some even gave him gifts.
Pavlik and Chambers both spoke prior to O'Brien, energizing the room packed
with Nittany Lion supporters. Chambers
brought the crowd to its feet before he began his passionate speech. The room followed his command and stood up
cheering.
"This is a very coachable group in Scranton," Chambers joked.
Coach O'Brien took the opportunity to recognize the current and former Nittany
Lions at the dinner before he delivered his Caravan message to the crowd. McGloin and O'Brien had a special
relationship during his time as the leader of the Penn State offense in
2013. Commending him on his dedication
and work ethic, O'Brien told the room that a great deal of Penn State's success
in 2012 was a direct product of McGloin.
"Thank you for everything you did for Penn State," O'Brien said to McGloin, who
was seated at the head table while the crowd cheered for the hometown hero.
Throughout all three speeches, the crowd of more than 800 was glued to the
podium. Chambers, Pavlik and O'Brien all
deserve a great deal of credit for their delivery on Wednesday night.
But simply put, the Scranton crowd was again tremendous for the second-straight
year during the Caravan.
The Coaches Caravan will wrap up on Thursday with men's hockey head coach Guy
Gadowsky joining O'Brien and Pavlik for a lunch stop in DuBois and dinner in Pittsburgh.
VIDEO: Scranton Press Conference with
Coach O'Brien
Miles Covered on Day One - 203 miles Miles Covered on Day Two - 147 miles
Miles Covered on Day Three - 254 miles Miles Covered on Day Four - 188
miles Miles Covered on Day Five - 377
miles
Caravan Total - 1,169 miles
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Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Week
two of the Penn State Coaches Caravan kicked off on Tuesday before a sold out
crowd of nearly 300 fans in Williamsport and 350 in the Lehigh Valley.
The modified Fullington Bus rolled out of the Bryce Jordan Center parking lot
shortly after 9:30 a.m. en route to the Pennsylvania College of Technology campus in
Williamsport. Head coaches Bill O'Brien,
Charlene Morett and Mark Pavlik delivered passionate speeches to an
enthusiastic group of Penn State fans and alums on Tuesday at lunch. Take a look through some highlights on day
four.
Stop VII - Williamsport (Penn College of
Technology) Week two began with a great Coaches Caravan stop inside the auditorium
on the Penn College of Technology campus.
O'Brien, Morett and Pavlik headlined the event with speeches to thank
the Penn State fans for their support. Morett, who will enter her 27th season at the helm of the Nittany Lion field
hockey team in the fall, opened the panel of speakers at the luncheon. The 2012 Big Ten Coach of the Year told the
crowd that she walked onto the Penn State campus in 1975 as a freshman, and
instantly, she knew what type of a special place it was. On the field of play, Morett has been a superb leader of the field hockey
program, leading the Nittany Lions to six Big Ten titles, six Big Ten
postseason titles and five of her teams have reached the NCAA semifinals. But off the field, the Philadelphia native has
been a tremendous ambassador for the University. "What makes an event like this special is to come out and see some great old
friends and to make some great new friends," Morett said. Pavlik, who just returned from Penn State's 28th trip (15th straight) the NCAA
men's volleyball semifinals, echoed Morett's comments about being in front of a
great group of enthusiastic Penn State supporters. Pavlik just finished his 19th season as a
head coach in Happy Valley. "When I go to work every morning, I have to pinch myself," Pavlik said of the
opportunity he has. The Western Pennsylvania native added that there is something special about
Penn State's support system everywhere he goes.
That being said, Pavlik noted how the fans play a direct, one-team role
when the department's teams are competing on the road. "To have a good crowd on the road,
there's no better feeling," Pavlik said. O'Brien was the final head coach to speak in Williamsport. He opened his speech by introducing
Williamsport native Jamie Van Fleet, who was a graduate of the Nittany Lion
football program. Van Fleet was unable
to play in 2012 due to injury, but played a key role for the Nittany Lions on
the sidelines, serving as a defensive mentor assisting the coaching staff. Heading into his second season as a head coach, O'Brien joked with Morett and
Pavlik that he only has 26 more seasons to catch up with the Lion field hockey
leader. As has been the case at every
stop, though, O'Brien's message focused on the support of the fans and how much
it means to the football program, athletic department and the University. "Every time you go to a speaking engagement (like this one), you know the room
will be filled with passionate fans," O'Brien said. VIDEO: Williamsport Press Conference
with Coaches O'Brien, Morett and Pavlik
Stop VIII: Allentown (Holiday Inn Conference
Lehigh Valley) Following the sold
out luncheon, the Caravan bus traveled south through Pennsylvania for an
evening stop on the western edge of the Lehigh Valley. O'Brien, Morett and Pavlik spoke to a dinner
crowd outside of Allentown.
Part of what makes the Coaches Caravan unique for the fans in attendance is how
each stop usually features a different story from the head coaches
speaking. The head coaches often tell
stories about their teams or time at Penn State.
On Tuesday night, O'Brien opened his speech by sharing about an event that took
place in Happy Valley shortly after the NCAA announced its sanctions against
the football program. Former Nittany
Lions Tom Donchez and Mike Guman, both former Nittany Lion greats from nearby
Bethlehem, were in the crowd. Seeing
those two prior to the evening event, it triggered O'Brien to talk about the
support from the Penn State Letterman's Club.
Just days after the announcement of the sanctions, O'Brien said that 500 lettermen
from all over the country attended a meeting in Holuba Hall on very short
notice to talk about what it meant to play football at Penn State. While it was a story O'Brien wanted to share
with the crowd about the lettermen, it provided a living, breathing example of
what he has talked about for the duration of the Caravan.
The support system surrounding Penn State is special.
Morett spoke about on Tuesday night. And
so did Pavlik.
"Char is right, you can feel the energy when you walk into a room like this," O'Brien
said.
Penn Staters are a unique group with unwavering support, no matter what the
circumstances are. The head coaches feel
fortunate to have the type of network behind them.
"Don't underestimate the power you have to help mold our students and
student-athletes," Pavlik told the crowd.
"We have an amazing product we get to sell year in and year out at Penn State,"
Morett said.
Now more than ever, as O'Brien has said at each of the eight stops on the
Coaches Caravan, the Penn State support system needs to be strong as the
athletic programs continue to move forward in a positive direction.
Following a great evening program, all three coaches received a standing
ovation as the event closed. The Caravan
moves on to New York City on Wednesday for a lunch stop before traveling to
Scranton for a dinner event.
VIDEO: Allentown Press Conference with Coach
O'Brien
Miles Covered on Day One - 203 miles Miles Covered on Day Two - 147 miles
Miles Covered on Day Three - 254 miles Miles Covered on Day Four - 188
miles
Caravan Total - 792 miles
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GoPSUsports.com's Tony Mancuso on Twitter @GoPSUTony
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's volleyball team is headed to
the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles, Calif.
After securing a spot in the postseason tournament by capturing the EIVA
Championship last Saturday night, the Lions fly out of State College on Tuesday
before the start of competition on Thursday.
Just four Division I teams advance to the national tournament, which
include No. 1 BYU, No. 2 UC Irvine, No. 3 Loyola-Chicago and the fourth-seeded
Nittany Lions. Irvine and Loyola-Chicago will be featured in the first
semifinal match of the evening on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET and Penn State will
face BYU in the second semifinal at 11 p.m. ET the same night.
Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik has been to quite a few NCAA
Tournaments and faced numerous different opponents in his time at the helm of
the program, but said that going up against BYU will be a bigger challenge than
his team has seen in a long time.
"BYU is probably as physical a team as there is out there," said Pavlik.
"Those guys just keep coming at you. You can't bring a feather-duster to this
match - you've got to bring hammers."
Not only are the Cougars sporting an impressive overall record of 24-4
with a team attack percentage of .327 heading into NCAA competition, they also
have one of the hottest hands in men's volleyball. Junior outside hitter Taylor
Sander from Huntington Beach, Calif. has put up huge numbers against opponents
this year, rounding out the regular season with 409 kills on 3.79 hitting.
"Taylor is everything that you want in a player; explosive, great arm,
great volleyball IQ, great competitor," said Pavlik. "He's the guy you want on
your team and you hate to face."
But the head coach said that he and his squad aren't preparing for
Sander and the Cougars much differently than they would for any other match.
"This is where you just play volleyball," said Pavlik. "You don't try to
be tricky. Play as hard as you can for as long as you can and make sure your
fundamentals are in check."
As of late, Pavlik said that he's increasingly encouraged at the way the
Lions have played what he calls 'big-boy volleyball' and continue to work
together as a unit. The team has won nine of its last 10 contests and brought
its blue-collar mentality to each and every set, working for each point and
truly earning its victories.
And after all of the hard work that his team put in during the regular
season, Pavlik said that a trip to the NCAA Tournament is just icing on the
cake.
"This is why you get up at 7 a.m. in the fall," said Pavlik. "This is
why you endure the strength and conditioning. This is why you endure those long
bus rides. This is the time where, are we going to get any better between now
and Thursday? Minimal. But we've got to understand that we're one of four teams
playing - we've got a shot, let's take it."
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.
- Thanks to three-straight sets of some of the best volleyball that the Nittany
Lions have played all year, Penn State swept Harvard in the conference
tournament final and won its 15th-straight EIVA title on Saturday night.
On their home court
for the last time this season, the Lions came ready to play and literally ran
on all cylinders to out-hit, out-serve and out-dig the Crimson.
Harvard head coach
Brian Baise said that once Penn State got hot, there really was not stopping
them.
"They were just
extremely sharp and focused for the entirety of the game," said Baise. "We
really weren't able to put any pressure on them and they just didn't let up."
After two sets, the
Lions had made just one hitting error and were playing nearly perfect
volleyball. Collectively, the team finished the night hitting at a clip of .474
and dealt seven service aces from behind the line.
Junior Peter Russell
led the team with 14 kills on .875 hitting and said that while he was happy to
have played well as an individual, he was even more impressed at the way
everyone in blue and white performed.
"It's really tough to
stop a whole, well-rounded attack," said Russell. "If you look at the numbers
really the whole team played very well and hit a pretty high percentage. I
wasn't that surprised though - I know that our team is a very, very capable
team of playing like this."
His younger brother
and teammate Aaron Russell followed with 10 kills on .273 hitting and said that
once he and the Lions got rolling, there was no turning back.
"We just played
confidently and we kind of came in and just took care of business," said
Russell. "We knew what we had to do and we just did it. We didn't care how we
did it, we just wanted to win."
The Lions were
relaxed and focused from the opening serve forward. And as fun as winning an
EIVA Championship can be, the team said that what's next is what it's really
looking forward to. The conference championship earns Penn State a bid to the
final contest of the men's volleyball season at the 2013 NCAA Tournament in Los
Angeles, Calif. next week.
Just four teams from
Division I volleyball advance to the semifinal in Pauley Pavilion on May 2nd,
and freshman Matt Seifert said that to be one of those teams is everything he
had hoped for.
"Honestly going from
last year, my redshirt year, and sitting back and watching the team win it and
being a part of it this year and contributing, it's a cheesy cliché but it's
like a dream come true for me," said Seifert. "This is what I wanted when I was
in high school and to be here is pretty awesome."
Penn State will meet No. 1 BYU in the NCAA semifinals on Thursday inside Pauley
Pavilion in Los Angeles (11 p.m. ET).
The winner moves on to face the winner of No. 2 UC Irvine and No. 3
Loyola Chicago in the national title match on Saturday (9 p.m.).
Unlike Seifert, the
Lions' head coach Mark Pavlik has taken the trip to the national tournament
before. Having won the national title in 2008 and knowing what it takes to do
so, Pavlik said that the biggest advantage that his group of athletes have is
themselves.
"This has been a true
team in every sense of the word throughout the entire year," said Pavlik. "Everybody's
on the same page and everybody's doing a real nice job of controlling what they
can control and that works for us."
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.
- Up two sets to none and tied at 23 in the third, Penn State's Taylor Hammond
fed a high set to Aaron Russell that crossed over the net and smacked straight
into the face of Princeton's Cody Kessel. The crowd went wild.
Russell's kill gave
the Lions set and match point in the second semifinal match of the EIVA
Championships in Rec Hall on Thursday night.
"After that happened
I was feeling really excited and I kind of thought to myself when I was back
behind the service line, 'What better way to finish off this match with an
ace?'" said Russell.
Less than 60 seconds
later, Russell sent another scorching ball over the net for an ace and match
point. Penn State won the match 25-20, 25-17 and 25-23 and advance to the EIVA
Championship final in Rec Hall on Saturday at 7 p.m.
After the match, the
Lions' head coach Mark Pavlik said that he was pleased with the way his team's
offense ran and even more impressed with the aggressive effort that his
athletes showed from start to finish.
"We want to play
big-boy volleyball," said Pavlik. "We want to say, 'Here we come. Stop us.' If
you can't stop us, we're going to by physical."
The Lions out-hit the
Tigers by a close margin of .398 to .342, but what set Penn State apart was the
tandem of Russell and Nick Goodell, who combined for 35 of the team's 47 kills
on the night.
Russell hit .704
through three sets, tallying 21 kills on just 27 attempts and took the match
into his hands when it really mattered. But the sophomore said that he was so
excited to just be playing postseason volleyball that he wasn't too focused on
his own statistics.
"I don't remember
much of the game but it's always fun to play at a high level and when guys
around you are playing well it's great," said Russell. "You can't ask for
more."
Penn State will
compete in the championship match of the conference tournament on Saturday
night against Harvard, who defeated George Mason 3-2 earlier on Thursday
evening. The Lions split their conference series with the Crimson this season,
and now face a huge rubber-match in the EIVA final.
Should the Lions win,
it will mark the 29th EIVA/EVCL Championship in the program's
history and earn the team a spot in the 2013 men's volleyball NCAA Tournament
next week.
Pavlik said that
while the postseason is an exciting time of unpredictable events, his main
focus is on readying his own team rather than preparing for the one they'll
face.
"We can't determine
what they're going to do on their side of the net," said Pavlik. "We've got to
be good when the ball comes on our side of the net and minimize errors."
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Postseason volleyball in Rec Hall is something
that Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik is very familiar with, but can't seem to
get enough of.
"The smile on my face doesn't even begin to explain my anticipation,"
said Pavlik.
Less than three weeks ago, the Nittany Lions clinched their 29th EIVA season
title and earned the right to the top-seed in the conference tournament.
Tomorrow, Penn State will play host to that tournament as Rec Hall welcomes
three more EIVA teams to the conference championship.
Action in University Park begins on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. as Harvard and
George Mason compete in the first semifinal conference match. Following that
contest, the Lions will take on Princeton in the second semifinal of the
evening. The winners of both matches will then square off on Saturday at 7 p.m.
to decide the EIVA tournament champion.
The four conference teams know one another very well, as they each met
at least twice during the regular season. For the Lions, their meeting with
Princeton will be the third in the last three months. Pavlik says that having a
strong familiarity with a team helps, but the end-result really boils down to
who makes the least amount of errors.
"The first time you face a team, you have an idea based off of video,"
said Pavlik. "The second time you face a team, you've seen them live once and
you have a feel for what they do but they also have a feel for you. I think
that third time you're really comfortable playing them and there aren't going
to be many surprises."
And speaking of familiarity, Pavlik says it helps that the Lions are
beginning the postseason on the court that they know best in front of the fans
that support them the most.
"If we survive (semifinals) and get into the finals, I think our home
crowd won't be disappointed," said Pavlik. "I think that playoff crowds that
come to any postseason play on campus, it's just a heightened atmosphere. These
are well-tenured volleyball fans who enjoy coming out to watch and it's great
to have it at home."
It will be the 16th consecutive year that Rec Hall has played host to
the EIVA Championships, dating back to 1998 when the first tournament came to
town.
But the end goal is bigger than just a conference championship. The team
that wins the EIVA tournament this weekend secures a spot in the 2013 NCAA
Men's Volleyball Championships in Los Angeles, Calif. next week.
From week to week, Pavlik said that his team has been focusing on the
next match ahead and trying not to look too far ahead of themselves. Even now
that their first match of the postseason is upon them, the head coach said that
the mentality stays the same.
"We've got a one-game series," said Pavlik. "They've gotten better and
we've gotten better and it's just going to be a great matchup for the first
night."
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After months of hard work and well-fought
volleyball, the Nittany Lions are heading into their final weekend of regular
season play.
Penn State plays host to two final conference opponents, welcoming
Rutgers-Newark and NJIT to Rec Hall this weekend. Looking back through the
season, here are a few numbers that stick out where Mark Pavlik and his team
are concerned.
7: As celebrated on April 5th against Lees-McRae, seven total
senior will leave the Penn State program as the end of this season. Those include
athletes Tom Comfort, Ian Hendries, Kyle Mars, Matt Kapusta, Scott Keggereis
and Nick Turko, along with their senior manager Corey Hobson.
16: One week from today, it will be the 16th-straight time that the Penn
State program has hosted the EIVA Championships in Rec Hall. The Lions have
welcomed conference opponents into their gym for the beginning of postseason
play since 1998.
19: Penn State has won 19 of the 26 matches that it has played in the
2013 season. Eleven of those were won in just three sets, five were won in four
and just three matches were taken in five full sets of play.
29: As of 10 days ago, the Nittany Lions clinched their 29th
EIVA Championship title. With a conference best 11-1 record and two more EIVA
matches left to go, the title also makes Penn State the top-seed heading into
the EIVA Championships.
61: He may just be a freshman, but Matt Seifert has made a lot of noise
this season at the net. The rookie holds a team-high 61 blocks in just 26
matches played. The next best defender at the net is his teammate and senior
Nick Turko with 51.
94: Through 26 total matches, the Nittany Lions have played a collective
94 sets of collegiate volleyball so far. They have out-scored their opponents
1,192 to 1,007, and have dominated in close matches.
222: His jersey number is three but all he's seeing is a lot of twos.
Starting libero and redshirt sophomore Connor Curry has recorded 222 digs
through 26 matches, holding down the back-row and keeping opposing servers
off-balance set after set.
305: Aaron Russell made noise as a freshman, but he has come completely
out of his shell in his sophomore season. The younger Russell leads the Lions
with 305 recorded kills, and averages 3.47 kills per set on the outside.
1,011: In his first season controlling the offense, redshirt freshman
Taylor Hammond has tallied more than 1,000 assists and distributed the ball
seemingly well. Hammond's numbers are not only a team-best but also the highest
in the conference, edging next-best Javier Perez of George Mason who has
recorded 966.
Coming down the homestretch, the Lions know the opponents that they have
to face and defeat in order to reach the NCAA Championships. They control their
own destiny.
By Sean Flanery,GoPSUsports.com Student Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - It had been 41 days since the Nittany Lions had last
played in front of a home crowd in Rec Hall, but Friday night No. 12 Penn State
(18-6,11-1 EIVA) stepped back in front of its home fans and swept Lees-McRae in
three straight sets on senior night.
"I think we took care of home court pretty well, the way we should have, no
matter who was on the court," said Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik. "It was a
great night to honor the seniors. They've given us so much over their careers
and I think it showed how they've led this group. There was no drop off in
effort, or attitude, throughout the entire match tonight."
In a night dedicated to the seniors, the group displayed exactly what they
have meant to this club all year leading them in three-straight sets by scores
of 25-15, 25-16, and 25-20. Two seniors in particular that played a huge role
in Friday night's victory were Kyle Mars and Scott Kegerreis. The two combined
for 14 kills in the team's victory. However, all of Mars' seven kills came in
his one and only set of the night, the third.
"I think that's something that me and Scott are kind of used to, just
coming off the bench and doing what we can for the team," said Mars. "There was
a little senior-night-flow going on out there. It was just fun to play out
there tonight."
The depth the Lions have displayed over the course of the season is exactly
what has carried them to the position they're in being ranked No. 12 in the
country and sitting atop the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association
standings. Not many teams in the country can say that they have
seasoned-veterans subbing into games late in matches and Pavlik knows this is
one of his team's strengths.
"It seems to crop up just about every time we sit in here," said Pavlik. "We
have some depth, we have some experienced depth and at this time in the year
that experienced depth through our seniors this is their last go-around. So, I
think there's a little bit of desperation from what we're doing too from that
group and I think they all have it, and at this time of year that's a good
thing to have."
After stumbling in early March, Pavlik's squad seems to be refocused now
winning four-straight contests, three of which came in conference play.
However, there is still work to be done as Penn State moves forward with only a
few weeks remaining in the regular season.
"The only thing we can control right now is how we prepare and taking care
of business on the court," said Pavlik. "We need one more EIVA win and that's
what we can control. Whether Harvard loses, wins, it's irrelevant, we need one
more EIVA win."
Penn State will travel to Irvine, Calif. next weekend to square off with
Concordia and UC Irvine on Friday and Saturday night, respectively. Those games
are both set to begin at 10 p.m. EST.
By Kelsey Detweiler, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After more than a month of staying in hotels,
sleeping on buses and playing in opposing teams' gyms, the Nittany Lions finally
return to Rec Hall on Friday night.
Penn State played its last eight contests on the road and went 5-3 in that
four-week stretch. In the middle of the run, the Lions dropped three-straight
to non-conference opponents. Those are just three of six total losses that the
team has on the season, but what's more important is the way that the group
responded to that streak.
The final three matches of the Lions' road stretch came against EIVA
members Saint Francis, Princeton and George Mason. Focusing on the goal of having
the best record in the conference by the end of the season, Peter Russell said
that it seemed only natural for his team to get back on track.
"I think we trusted our competitive nature," said Russell." I think we just
had a lot of fun and just enjoyed competing and we were just playing for each
other. It was everyone playing as one team and we knew that as passers we've
got to pass and we just trusted each other."
Penn State won all three of its last matches, beating a tough group of
conference running mates. In fact, the 11-1 conference record that the Lions
hold secures them a share of the EIVA Conference Title, and the team can clinch
that title outright with one more EIVA win or after one more Harvard loss.
But this weekend isn't about playing for the conference.
Head coach Mark Pavlik said that the important thing for his group of
athletes is to have short-term tunnel vision, and to never look too far in
advance.
"We're looking ahead to the next match and we're looking to be 1-0 after
that match," said Pavlik. "That's how far we look ahead and Lees-McRae is that
match for right now."
Friday night's match against the Bobcats is also Senior Night for the
Nittany Lions, and the talented squad will celebrate seven total senior members
who will be leaving the program. Rostered Lions Tom Comfort, Ian Hendries, Kyle
Mars, Scott Keggereis, Matt Kapusta and Nick Turko are in their last season
with the team, as is student manager Corey Hobson.
For Comfort, the final weeks of his collegiate volleyball career aren't
some to lament about or try to drag on. Rather, the starting senior says that
he's trying to give his team everything he's got left in his toolbox.
"It's a little bit easier for me because this is my last month and I can't
look back and have any regrets and say, 'Well I could have done this,'" said
Comfort. "It's kind of coming naturally and is pretty easy. Being an
upperclassmen and everything I am just trying to lead the way."
Pavlik said that this senior class is one of the most blue-collar that he's
seen come through the doors in Rec Hall in many years, working collectively to
make an impact. The head coach knows that each one of his graduating athletes
will be missed, but has plenty of confidence in his team's future.
"They play so well as a group that it's going to be interesting to see how
this team responds next season," said Pavlik. "But for now we are worried about
one match and that's this weekend. The seniors, and the rest of the team,
they'll take care of themselves."
