Buckeye Kerewich's stock spiking upward as OSU rolls into Happy Valley

The junior hopes to help his team to continue its winning ways against the Nittany Lion volleyball team this weekend.

This time last year, Ohio State's Phil Kerewich was warming the bench.

A year later, he now heats things up on the court.

Kerewich's volleyball career has been a roller-coaster ride full of intense highs and deep lows which have brought him and the Buckeyes to Happy Valley. After the Nittany Lions confront Princeton at 7:30 tonight in Rec Hall, they face Kerewich and Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the south gym of Rec Hall.

"Ohio State has some very good players," Pavlik said. "I think it will be a real knock down, drag out, Big Ten men's volleyball match."

This clash of Big Ten rivals will be only one of the few battles which Kerewich has fought on the volleyball court. As a true freshman, he earned a starting position and things could not have been better. In peak performance, Kerewich recorded 334 kills in the 1996 season.

From this height, Kerewich's roller-coaster tumbled down, way down. His sophomore year paled in comparison. Kerewich lost his starting role and was denied the second-string position by a talented freshman and an experienced senior. Instead, he finished the season with 109 kills -- an obvious disappointment.

After many deep breaths, Kerewich took it upon himself to turn his career around.

"Last year was hard for me for personal reasons," Kerewich said. "I put in a lot of dedication last year in the off-season. I tried to focus on volleyball and why I am here."

Kerewich picked himself back up and concentrated again on his game. This year, the outside hitter has regained his starting position and brought more than just skills to the floor.

"Phil came back with real dedication to get back on the starting six full time," Buckeye coach Pete Hanson said. "Right now, it's a lot of things. He's been consistent. He's brought a lot of energy and intensity. All those intangibles have brought a lot to the team."

The biggest contribution Kerewich brings is experience. This year, the Buckeyes consist mostly of freshmen and sophomores. With just two seniors, Kerewich being the next in seniority, the young team needed a role model.

Kerewich's dedication, determination and knowledge filled this gap. The young starters learn from the outside hitter and rely upon him for emotional support.

"I feel I bring a lot of experience and keep them under control," Kerewich said. "I know what it is like to play on a college level. When you are playing in front of 1,000 people, it is really easy to get nervous. So I am just trying to keep them calm."

The calm atmosphere Kerewich creates proved vital in the No. 9 Buckeyes' defeat of No. 7 Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne on Jan. 24. Kerewich led the team with a .448 hitting percentage and registered 18 kills. For his outstanding performance in the four-game upset, Kerewich earned MIVA Player of the Week.

But Kerewich refuses to credit himself for the victory, insisting the win was a team effort.

"We might be a young team, but we still have the talent to play with older teams," he said.

Kerewich's consistent performance with the young team has brought his roller-coaster ride to an end.

Last year's lows led to this year's highs, and there seems to be no drop in sight.