Spikers to start EIVA showing

By BRIAN EPSTEIN
Collegian Sports Writer

"We're going to be a little inexperienced in battle in a couple of positions. I expect we'll see some rocky times in the beginning, but I think our team personality is going to be one where, by mid-March, it's going to be a determined 'whatever-it-takes' type of attitude." --Lion Volleyball Coach Mark Pavlik, on his team's preseason outlook

During the preseason, Pavlik preached that his team would need time if it were to successfully defend its national championship. It needed time to feel comfortable with the new mix of outside hitters -- redshirt sophomore Jason Kepner, redshirt freshman David Gealy and redshirt sophomore Fred Matheis -- who were to replace All-American Ramon Hernandez and Byron Schneider.

When the No. 6 men's volleyball team (10-3) takes on St. Francis (18-2, 3-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) at 7:30 p.m. today in Rec Hall's south gym, it will mark the beginning of that time.

As they head into the second half of the season, the Lions will begin their EIVA schedule, perhaps a refreshing change from No. 3 Stanford and No. 1 UCLA, which they faced in the beginning of the season.

Over the next four weeks, the Lions will play seven of their 12 matches against EIVA opponents. Despite going 9-0 against conference opponents last year, they won't be taking these upcoming matches lightly.

"Volleyball is a strange game --we could beat a team 15-0 and then go out and lose to the same team 0-15," said senior co-captain Brian Miller. "It's a game of momentum, and anything can happen in a given game of a match to spark that momentum."

The Red Flash return six starters from a year ago, led by junior middle hitter Jack Zebo (5.19 kills per game) and senior setter David Ford (14.6 assists per game). The two teams have faced only two common opponents so far this season, Lewis and Springfield, and both results were the same -- a sweep of Springfield and a four-game defeat of Lewis.

And with St. Francis' additional experience, Pavlik said he expects a more difficult match than the 15-8, 15-10, 15-11 sweep the Lions handed them last year.

"They play hard -- they're not a big team, but they're real scrappy," Pavlik said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how our guys come off the last three weekends of travel. This will be a real good opportunity for us to get back in the swing of things."

The Lions are coming off an 11-day layoff and will take a nine-day hiatus after tonight's match before traveling to Fort Wayne, Ind., on March 24-26 to participate in the Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne Invitational.