They returned a little bit older, maybe a few extra pounds around their waists, and perhaps breathing a little heavier, but nonetheless, the Penn State volleyball alumni team showed a small crowd Saturday afternoon they still had some of the magic that built the program to its present standards.

They came from West Virgina, Indiana, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and all over Pennsylvania to reunite with old teammates, reminisce about the glory days, and play the sport they love.

It was a colorful bunch that faced off against the '89 volleyball squad, with nicknames like 'Yak', 'The Munch', 'Harpo', 'Skids', and 'Shaker'. They were a little rusty on their skills, somewhat unorganized, and yet kept the varsity moving. Even though they only won one game out of five, they had the respect of the varsity team.

"Their knowledge of the game far exceeds ours," senior Robert Pierce said. "With guys like this they can show you a lot. It's a good thing for us that we get to see the people that really founded the program."

Even though the game was an easy-going event played in fun, as shown with the alumni's bench jokingly arguing with the officials in the style of McEnroe, the alumni came to compete. The crowd witnessed some gruelling volleys, with both sides digging, blocking and spiking with passion.

Many of the members of the alumni team played when the program was just starting; back in the days when it was a club and received no grants from the university.

"We had no money, we supported ourselves," said 1975 graduate Jim 'Yak' Wittler. "We used to drive and stay in people's houses. Any way we could get there, we would."

"We would stay in a motel room with eight people to a room," Frank Guadagnino added. "We would take the mattress off the boxsprings and sleep on the floor."

These shared hardships definitely formed a sense of camaraderie, both with the players and the coach.

"This is my family," Coach Tom Tait said in his introduction of the alumni.

"I have a lot of respect for him," said 1974 graduate Don Tobin, the oldest player. "Both as a person and a coach."

When the match was finally over many of the crowd left the gymnasium and missed an annual tradition at the Penn State alumni match: The Ball Pull. An alumnus and a varsity player both grip the ball in one hand and try to yank it from each other's hand. Age excelled once again as reigning champion John Morgan pulled the ball from senior Chris Chase's hand.