Spikers need four games to get win

The men's volleyball match between No. 2 Penn State and Long Island University-Southampton on Saturday disproved a common sports slogan: victory is not always thrilling and defeat is not always agonizing.

The Nittany Lions (15-1, 5-0 EIVA) took the match in four sets, 15-9, 15-1, 10-15, 15-2, in Rec Hall but they still found more things to work on.

The Colonials (10-2) could only muster a win in game three against the Lion reserves, but they couldn't have been more pleased.

"It was a great experience, and we had fun," Colonial middle blocker Kyle Robinson said. "Penn State's No. 2 in the country -- you can't beat that."

Maybe they couldn't beat Penn State, but they put up a decent fight. LIU-Southampton came into South Gym pumped up and ready to play the nationally ranked Lions.

During game one the Colonials were able to take a 6-5 lead, but that quickly vanished as the Lions caught fire and snuffed out any Colonial thoughts of a game one win.

Penn State may not consistently face quality opponents like teams on the West Coast, but weekly it goes against teams that focus all their energy on beating the Lions, who frequently have struggled in opening games against these upset-minded teams.

"I think it's two things," Lion co-captain Ivan Contreras said. "All the teams that play against us get pumped up, especially teams from the East. And we traditionally start a little slow. That was even true of the '94 championship team."

After their solid performance in game one, the Colonials wilted in game two. Penn State played one its most efficient games of the season, compiling a .714 hitting percentage, while LIU-Southampton posted a frightening -.056.

As usual the Lions picked up their play in the second game, and their competition came crashing down.

"They can play at a higher level of play for a longer time," Colonial coach Scott Gleason said. "After the adrenaline wears off, it comes down to who plays better."

LIU-Southampton is a strong Division III team, but it lacked the depth and talent needed to beat the Lions. Colonials Michael Salak and Kyle Robinson posted match-high kill totals of 24 and 20, respectively, but they were the only source of scoring.

"They did what we expected, but two guys can't get it done alone," Gleason said. "It takes whole team to beat a team like Penn State."

The Lions were led by their co-captains, Contreras and Jason Kepner. Both tallied 16 kills, with Kepner also leading the team in digs with nine. Middle blocker Brad Miller added 14 kills and six digs to the Lion effort.

Despite what would be considered a great night by most standards, Penn State is at a point where simply winning is not enough.

For the Lions to retain their high national ranking, they must beat their weaker competition convincingly. If they want to go for another ring at season's end, they must continue to find ways to improve and stay hungry.

"We just need to pick it up overall," Contreras said. "If we want to win a national championship, we have to excel at all the aspects."