Thursday, Jan. 22, 1998

Spikers on East-West mission

By CARLA MOTKO
Collegian Sports Writer

East will meet West. Forces will clash. Shots will be fired and only one will emerge victorious. It's civil war -- well, maybe not.

Lion middle blocker Adam Whitescarver rejects an attempted kill against McMaster last weekend in Rec Hall. The Lions host Long Beach State tonight at 7:30 in a contest for East-West bragging rights. (Collegian Photo/Ilan Sherman - click for full size image)

Normally, Penn State does not see West Coast competition until later in the season, but this year, the men's volleyball team has already fallen to two West Coast teams, UCLA and Hawaii. The Nittany Lions will get a shot at retribution at 7:30 tonight at Rec Hall when they take on Long Beach State.

After falling to UCLA and Hawaii, at the start of the season, the Lions regained their composure and crushed four Canadian teams in the Nittany Lion Invitational last week.

"We were able to come back hard after the trip to Hawaii," Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said. "It gave us a chance to transition into the regular season and keep our volleyball skills sharp, but not overuse them."

The Lions did not wear out during the tournament. Pavlik used many of his younger players, and it is possible they may see action again today.

Some may be thrown on the front lines quicker than expected. Starting middle blocker Sergio Pampena was injured in practice this week and may be out for three to six weeks, leaving a vacancy up front for the Lions.

"We have two very good backups who played last week and in Hawaii," middle blocker Brad Miller said. "We'll see if they can step up and fill Sergio's absence, but I have all the confidence in the world in them."

Adam Whitescarver will probably get the call to action against the 49ers. Whitescarver finished last week's tournament with nine kills and 14 blocks.

"Adam has very good blocking instincts," Pavlik said. "He's maybe not as physical as Serge, but this is his third year, so he knows what's going on."

Whitescarver will have to know exactly what is going on at all times because Long Beach has its own special weapon that can blow up the Lions' offensive plans in seconds.

Long Beach's attack will be spearheaded by Gaby Amar, a returning All-American middle blocker. Amar not only brings strong skills to the court, he also brings an element of leadership.

The Lions are worried the strong Long Beach team, made stronger by Amar's abilities, may pose a problem.

"From what I've read, (Amar) has picked up right where he left off last year," Pavlik said. "He's really their team leader."

Aside from their defensive skills, Pavlik mentioned other aspects that may present a problem. Long Beach has size, speed and perseverance. But he feels that his team is a good match.

"Overall, West Coast teams are more physical, much like the way we play," Pavlik said. "They're well-coached and I'm looking forward to coaching against them over these three days."