Fan-hungry Spikers greet Ball St., Rutgers-Newark

Only 201 fans showed up to support the men's volleyball team last Tuesday in Penn State's three-game sweep of Eastern Mennonite. Swing hitter David Gealey wasn't very happy.

This weekend, Gealey hopes for a much larger crowd when the Nittany Lions face off against Ball State at 7:30 tonight and against Rutgers-Newark at 8 p.m. tomorrow in Rec Hall.

"It would mean a lot to us," Gealey said. "Ball State and Rutgers are both big matches. It would really get our team fired up to have some fans. We need the extra support from a home crowd."

This weekend will be the first match for Gealey in three weeks. This swing hitter has been sidelined with mononucleosis, but was cleared on Wednesday to play -- good news for the ailing team.

The injury list includes George Papadakis (shin splints), Kevin Munger (sore shoulder), Damian Martorana (knees), John Hahn (flu), Eric Houston (wrist problems and lower back strain) and Sergio Pampena, who still remains benched with a high ankle sprain. The squad has been forced to start inexperienced underclassmen to fill the gaps.

Despite the injuries and young starters, the Lions still feel confident going into this weekend. Penn State holds some insider information on both teams, especially Ball State.

"We played (Ball State) in Hawaii," said middle blocker Dan Hoechst. "They were really close games. They will be playing at a higher level now, so I expect it to be a tough match."

Penn State defeated the Cardinals in three games at the Outrigger Hotel Invitational tournament over the semester break. Since the Scarlet Raiders share the EIVA conference with the Lions, Rutgers-Newark is also a familiar team.

In the previous matchup with Ball State, the Lions had a full, injury-free team. With only three of his original six starters healthy, Penn State coach Mark Pavlik puts his faith in veteran setter Dan Pollock.

"He has been our rock right now," Pavlik said. "I think Dan has been somebody that no matter who's been on the court he is instrumental. I'd like Dan to be the one guy that when people walk into the gym and didn't know the score, they still wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him."

While Pollock can carry the team emotionally on the court, the Lions will still experience depth problems. With so many injuries, few players will be able to substitute for the starters.

Both weekend opponents travel to Happy Valley with strength and conviction. Rutgers-Newark arrives off of a confidence-boosting four-game victory over higher-ranked Princeton on Wednesday. Ball State also remains highly motivated due to the recently announced retirement of coach Don Shondell. But the Lions are prepared and have played with better cohesion.

"Right now we are just at a stage where we are working really well together," said swing hitter Steve Aird.

If the Lions work well enough together, two confidence-boosting home victories could be the key catalyst in improving their 3-7 record.