Bottoms up

Spikers avoid hitting rock bottom with sweep of George Mason

Rock bottom was not a comfortable place for the Penn State men's volleyball team.

The Nittany Lions (6-11) crawled out of their dismal ditch last night with a victory over George Mason (15-8, 15-8, 15-5). The team desperately needed a win to boost its dragging record.

"It was almost like we had nothing to lose," said swing hitter Eric Houston. "We were at rock bottom. I think we are playing to win now instead of playing not to lose."

Along with this new mentality, a consistent and successful starting six contributed to the victory. Due the loss of injured players, the Lions have been juggling different combinations of starters. Last weekend, the team found a new formation which seemed to work. Tonight's strong victory over George Mason proved that this combination is successful

- Mark Pavlik, Spiker coach

The struggling play of George Mason (5-4) made this task easier for the Penn State. The Patriots appeared to battle themselves more than the Lions. Miscommunications and ball handling errors cost the Patriots in crucial point scoring opportunities.

George Mason and Penn State also seemed to be playing on two different levels. The Lions displayed consistency and tenacity while the Patriots just showed frustration.

"We were weren't focused," George Mason coach Ron Shayka said. "We showed the effects of the last 10 days. We couldn't play a good row of solid volleyball. I thought when they (Penn State) did get balls in, they were difficult to handle. They served a different game than us and we had trouble running our offense."

While their opponents struggled for points, the Lions scored with ease against the Patriots. Though the Lions produced impressive statistics last night, the major factor in the victory was their newfound confidence.

"We played outstanding as a unit," Houston said. "We all played together. We all played for each other."

Penn State hopes this unity will continue on to its next match. The Lions face No. 6 Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Columbus.

The two teams met previously this season when the Buckeyes defeated the Lions three games to one at Penn State. When the Lions travel to face this tough foe, they not only must face a determined team but they also must battle the Buckeyes on their turf.

"We have to be at our best at Ohio State," Pavlik said. "I just want to see us go in to Ohio State with a warrior mentality and hopefully this win is a springboard to that mentality. If we come out with a win on Ohio State's home court, we know we are playing well."