HUNTINGDON -- The men's volleyball team decided to have some fun last night.
The No. 3 Lions (11-1, 3-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) traveled to Juniata College to do battle with their intrastate and inter-divisional rivals, hoping to win their 10th match in a row. The team used the match to learn to create and to have some fun, winning 15-4, 15-2, 15-11.
"If we have to keep our starters in, that means we are being outplayed," Coach Tom Peterson said prior to the match. "We should overmatch them tonight."
The Lions planned on using the match as a learning period for a new style of blocking. The team worked on their trap blocking, which concentrates on predicting where the opponents will get the ball before the set.
Riding the coattails of this blocking, the Lions started out on fire, roaring out to an early 10-1 lead in game one. Behind big kills from freshman Ivan Contreras and senior Ramon Hernandez (13 and nine kills for the match, respectively), the Lions took the first game, 15-4.
Game two showcased more of the same, as the Lions continued to dominate Juniata (9-8, 1-1). With most of their second team in, the Lions rolled past the Division III school, 15-2.
The Lions were definitely not taking the match very seriously. Case in point: With the score 9-2 in the second game, 5-foot-11 freshman Jake Yanchar, seeing his first action all season, got a set for a back-row kill. However, the ball sailed long and Yanchar could not convince the referee to call Juniata for a touch.
"He came in in his first competition without any experience nor any time in the front row," Peterson said. "I wanted Jake to play and I don't know if there will be any other opportunities the rest of the season."
Peterson was quick to get the second-teamers into the match. Junior Brian Miller started the game at setter, giving starter Carlos Ortiz a chance to work on his defensive duties.
"Brian needs the experience and this is as good a time as any," Peterson said. "We're trying a few different things, letting a few different guys play."
But Juniata would not just lay down and die. Using the crowd's noise and capitalizing on rare Lion mistakes, Juniata fought hard in game three, forcing Penn State to struggle for its win.
The Lions, who were laughing and carrying on prior to the match, now had their game faces on. The nation's third-ranked team pulled together, though, winning game three, 15-11.
The Lions now have off until after spring break, and will use the time to recuperate from 5 weeks on the road.
Note:
-- Juniata freshman Chris Fazio is second in the nation in hitting percentage, putting down more than half of his kill attempts. Of his 244 attempts, he had only erred on 23 and had put 149 away for points. Against the Lions yesterday, Fazio put down eight kills on 15 attempts, erring on two, to give him a .400 percentage for the match.
