After losing four of the last five matches, an emphasis on the play of the middle blockers in practice proved fruitful as the men's volleyball team swept George Mason last night.

"I think we concentrated the last couple of days on blocking and that really helped," middle blocker Kevin Mosbacher said. "That was the key coming in."

The impact of the middle blockers was felt most in the second game, when Penn State scored 14 straight points for the victory. Middle blocker Todd Shirley and Mosbacher combined for kills on three of the last four points to finish the game.

Both players were used extensively as decoys while sets went to outside hitters Guillo Silva, Charlie Bertran and Jorge Perez throughout the match.

They aren't offensive leaders but their contributions have been sorely missed in the losing streak. Coach Tom Peterson was pleased with last night's performance on all aspects, in particular the play of his middle blockers.

"As far as blocking, which we were really trying to concentrate on, we went from a game where we didn't block very much at all in the middle, to a game where we blocked a lot," Coach Tom Peterson said.

"We got a lot of hands on balls and that allowed the defense to track them down," Mosbacher said.

The key to a middle blockers' game is hard work. Constantly sliding along the net, knees poised and hands ready to challenge, they must contest every play.

"Todd had a great match today," assistant coach Mark Pavlik said. "He just didn't stop working hard."

Mosbacher's play peaked through the first two games, however he later settled into a lackadaisical pattern.

"He played well early and then it looked like he started to just kind of sink into a very comfort zone where he just needed to push," Pavlik said. "We talked about it in the third game, when he was beside me on the bench."

Down 8-7 in the third game, he was replaced by Winfield Evens in the third game. Evens immediately ignited Penn State with a diving save leading to a Silva and Shirley block for a kill.

Since the Pepperdine match on Feb. 3, Mosbacher's playing time has dramatically increased. Hard work has propelled him from being a walk-on to his new starting position as a junior.

"I'm ready to play every day, I was ready when I was on the bench, its just that now I'm getting a chance to contribute," Mosbacher said.

Shirley and Mosbacher bring different skills to their positions. Shirley is more of a offensive threat, often taking kills off of quick sets from setter Scott Miller.

Despite a 6'4" frame, Mosbacher has a low profile on the court. His size is helpful for getting over the net for blocking. He also runs a different attack in the middle, excelling at moving behind the setter and hitting the ball.

Although he doesn't have gaudy statistics, Mosbacher does all the little things it takes to win.

"I can serve as a stabilizer for the team," Mosbacher said. "The team needs somebody to keep them up talking and a lot of communication, and I feel I do that well."

Shirley, the team's co-captain, is a very emotional player. A big kill is often punctuated with a pumped fist.

"I am probably the most emotional player out on the court at times," Shirley said. "A lot of times on the court, I am out there to pick them up, keep guys going, don't let guys get down after they make a mistake. Just try and keep everyone together as a team."