Killing them softly

Soft-spoken Mazzullo quietly serving as spikers' defensive threat

Actions speak louder than words and everyone speaks louder than Tony Mazzullo, swing hitter for the Penn State men's volleyball team.

Penn State has an array of outspoken players, and then are those who are loud because of their play, not their voices. Mazzullo is that type.

The players don't rely on Mazzullo for an emotional spark, but believe his role is to play solidly. Mazzullo will probably be looked upon to lead the Lions when they take on George Mason at 7:30 tonight in Rec Hall.

Although Mazzullo isn't one for vocal contributions, his consistently solid play for the Nittany Lions makes up for it.

Mazzullo is definitely not one to boast, his statistics do all that for him. He has an average of 5.75 kills, 3.25 digs and 1.125 blocks per game.

Recent injuries to starters have pushed the Lions to the losing side of the court, forcing them to rely on team veterans like Mazzullo. With the team's 5-11 record, he is one of the few positives the Penn State coaching staff has to smile about.

"If there's been a bright spot throughout these last four matches, it's been Tony," Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said. "Our staff believes he's done everything one person can do to help our team out of this pit."

Overall, Mazzullo said he's pleased with his performance, but needs to pump up the volume.

"I have to get louder," Mazzullo said. "I need to make my presence known on the court, not just to other teams but to my own team as well."

In spite of his quiet nature, Mazzullo's constant tenacity earned him the title of Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Player of the Week.

"I think it says a lot about a player to win this award when his team is doing so poorly," Pavlik said.

Mazzullo himself was not very vocal about his recognition, but said his grandmother will probably do some shouting for him.

"She's my PR lady," Mazzullo said. "She's also probably my biggest fan. I'm on orders to send anything with my name in it directly to her."

Mazzullo's grandma would definitely be happy to know her grandson stands tall for the Lions even in the face of defeat.

Despite the team's losses last weekend, Mazzullo quietly lit up the court with his outstanding efforts. In Saturday's loss to Lewis, Mazzullo racked up a whopping 34 kills, 15 digs and eight blocks.

Mazzullo's teammates said his outstanding defense makes him a team leader and earned him EIVA Player of the Week.

"Tony is quite possibly the best defensive player in the country," middle blocker Kevin Munger said. "He had the majority of the digs for us this weekend."

When the Lions face George Mason tonight, they will hope for another strong effort from Mazzullo. Penn State will be trying out some new defensive strategies in hopes of turning the team around and putting it back on the winning track. Once again, the Lions will look to Mazzullo for stability.

"Tony's responsibilities haven't changed," Pavlik said. "We want him to swing at balls in transition and put balls away. His hitting carries us.

"He's a very solid player and we need the rest of the team to raise their play to his level."