No respect for Spikers despite ranks

Penn State men's volleyball can be summed up in one word -- bittersweet.

The Lions easily defeated East Stroudsburg in three sets last night in Rec Hall, 15-4, 15-11, 15-13, but that's what they're supposed to do, so the accolades were few.

Even senior night, which should be the pinnacle of a college career seemed kind of empty.

The Lions (25-1) have EIVA playoffs and NCAA championships in the coming weeks, making even senior night pale in comparison.

"I'm not ready to be done playing here," swinghitter Jason Kepner said. "But I am definitely ready for playoffs and NCAA's. I really just want to get these matches over with."

The EIVA quarterfinals will be held in Rec Hall, which means last night was technically not the last time seniors Kepner, Ivan Contreras and Jake Yanchar will take the court in Rec Hall.

"It's not that bad since we have another match here," Kepner said. "I think it will be a lot harder to leave Rec Hall after EIVA's."

Even with some of its focus being else where, Penn State swept the Warriors despite much line up tampering by coach Mark Pavlik. The stats seem to indicate East Stroudsburg put up a fight in the last two games, but the only real struggle was the Lions trying to find a tempo with new rotations.

"I never let them get into any real rhythm," Pavlik said. "If they would have been allowed to get into a flow, it would have been a shorter game."

While Penn State experimented with its line up, East Stroudsburg just tried to find ways to make the game last a little longer. The Warriors were admittedly out-gunned by the Lions, so their main goal was to prepare for the Division II championship against LIU-Southampton this weekend.

"I knew we didn't have much of a chance at winning," East Stroudsburg coach Santiago Restrepo. "I just asked to play as hard as they could, and they did. This weekend is more important in the long run."

There was one aspect of the match that was far from bittersweet, the play of defensive specialist Yanchar. At 5-foot-11, he is the shortest player on the Lions, but he has always came up big for the team. Yanchar does not get the media attention of some of his teammates, but his presence has been invaluable for Penn State.

"He just works so hard," Pavlik said. "He may not have all the talent in the world, but when you measure Jake Yanchar, you measure his heart. He will always be one of the most important people on this team."