The service game isn't concentrated on very much in practice, but it can have a big effect on the outcome of a volleyball match. Last Friday against Pepperdine, service errors hurt the Lions at a number of critical points.

"A blown serve into the net's going to take away your momentum," Assistant Coach Mark Pavlik said.

Because they were making so many errors in the service game, the Lions became tentative and began to just loft the ball over the net unthreateningly. The Waves, who have a strong offense, were easily able to turn the Lions' weak serves into side-outs.

"It's always important to serve tough," he said. "You always want to take the other team out of the offense by serving tough."

The jump serve, however, has always been a low percentage serve and Sorenson's next attempt sailed long.

The Lions pulled to within 10-8, and after trading sideouts had an opportunity to edge even closer, but Perez hit the net with his serve. Given another opportunity, the Waves held serve and won the first game, 15-8.

Penn State (6-4) has averaged 13.1 service errors and 4.3 service aces per match so far this season. In Friday's match, which the Waves won in four games, the Lions had no service aces and 14 service errors -- most of which came at inopportune times.

"In a four-game match, that's way too much," Perez said. "We shouldn't even be missing four."

Service errors again hurt the Lions in game two. The Waves rolled to an early 5-0 lead. Then, after the Lions forced a sideout and had a chance to swing the momentum, Todd Shirley hit the net with his serve.

Pepperdine ran out to a 12-1 lead, and three more times along the way, the Lions made service errors that allowed the Waves to continue their dominance.

Penn State tried valiantly to dig itself out of the hole, and fought to 14-10. Another service error by Perez, however, was followed immediately by game point for the Waves.

Neither Penn State nor Pepperdine spend a great deal of time working on serving during practice. Waves coach Marv Dunphy doesn't believe repetitious drills are the way to train teams to serve.

"What I do is I usually like to serve in game-related situations," said Dunphy, who coached the gold-medal-winning 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. "Sometimes I'll just blow the whistle after the guys are doing any kind of drill, and then they'll go back, take a breath and serve. Because that's the way it happens in the game."

Penn State's players and coaches can't put their finger on the cause of the Lions' serving problems thus far.

"Maybe trying to serve too hard," Perez said. "Maybe trying to just get a real tough serve in and just messing up. I'm not really sure. It could vary from person to person."

"We pushed defense (last) week, with the setters that they have and the offense that they generate, and sometimes you get into a habit of where you're thinking defense before you make contact with the serve," Pavlik said. "That may be a possibility -- (being) kind of overanxious but in terms of getting on to the next area of responsibility you have.

"It's going to get better," he added. "We've got some guys who can serve the ball pretty well, so it's going to come."

And sure enough, the Lions did improve to an extent in their Saturday night rematch with the Waves. Penn State finished with a season-high 15 aces, including nine by co-captain John Wasielewski.

But the Lions still committed 13 service errors, and they lost in four games to Pepperdine for the second night in a row.