Spikers upset in tourney final

By BRIAN EPSTEIN
Collegian Sports Writer

When the No. 4 men's volleyball team headed to Springfield, Mass., for the Hall of Fame Classic March 4-5, it expected to have a chance to avenge a season-opening 9-15, 11-15, 10-15 loss to No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 25.

Only two things had to happen for the Lions to get that chance --Penn State had to defeat host Springfield in the first round, and UCLA, winner of 12 straight matches and 36 of its last 39 games, had to get past No. 15 Ball State in the other first-round match.

The rematch appeared all but gift-wrapped -- unranked Springfield (7-3) didn't seem like a viable threat to the Lions (10-3) on paper or on the court, and Ball State entered the tournament with a three-match losing streak and an 0-11 lifetime record against the mighty Bruins.

But it did not happen.

While the Lions fulfilled their part by sweeping Springfield 17-15, 15-5, 15-3, the Bruins (13-1) fell short. Ball State (10-5) handed them their first loss of the year, 15-5, 15-12, 15-11.

"Sometimes I think West Coast people get caught up in the UCLA volleyball aura," Lion Coach Mark Pavlik said. "They'll be real solid at the end of the season, but there are six or seven teams that are right with them right now. It's wide open this year."

But Ball State didn't stop to observe their improbable victory. The next day the Cardinals went out and defeated the Lions (15-8, 8-15, 15-13, 12-15, 18-16) to take the championship trophy.

"(Ball State) played poorly against Rutgers-Newark (in a loss two weeks ago), but they played great this weekend," senior co-captain Brian Miller said. "That's why we play the games."

The Cardinals led by a game before the Lions took Game 4, 15-12, forcing the fifth game. With the score tied at 11 in the deciding game, the Lions rallied to take the three straight points behind Miller's jump serve and seemed to take control of the match again.

But the Cardinals battled back behind a pair of Lion hitting errors and tied the score at 14. After a 16-16 tie, a Cardinal block and a kill by senior opposite Todd Reimer gave Ball State the victory.

Reimer finished with a match-high 37 kills against the Lions, while the tournament's most valuable player, Greg Romano, had 22 kills and 16 digs. The Lions were led by senior opposite Ed Josefoski (26 kills) and junior middle blocker Kevin Hourican (22).

Josefoski and setter Carlos Ortiz, who finished with 121 assists in the two matches, were named to the all-tournament team.

Note:

-- The Lions will take on Saint Francis at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rec Hall and then are off until March 24.