Spikers hoping success isn't just flash in the pan

A four-game winning streak gave the team some confidence; they hope for more of the same against St. Francis (Pa.) tonight on the road.

It has been a long time since the Penn State men's volleyball team has been in a comfortable position heading into a match like it is right now.

Four key victories over West Coast teams have given momentum to the No. 15 Nittany Lions for their upcoming games including an Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tait Division match against St. Francis (Pa.) at 7:30 tonight at DeGol Arena.

"We've been pretty positive, we just haven't been successful," defensive specialist Dan Schall said. "You get confident with wins and when you win you always expect to win more."

Penn State does not want to see the winning stop now. The Lions have had trouble stringing wins together, but they feel the momentum from these wins can carry them for awhile.

"It's probably going to be a gritty match like the East Stroudsburg match where we have more size than them," Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said. "We've got to make sure we know what St. Francis is doing and we can't give easy points."

St. Francis knows the Lions will not be handing out points. St. Francis coach Gary Evangilisto knows if his team wants to win, it must come out full force and take over the game.

"I think it's going to be a quick-paced match with both teams running a fast offense," Evangilisto said. "If we don't play a quick game we won't be able to compete."

With a 7-12 overall record, 1-4 in the Tait Division, this St. Francis team is almost a mirror image of what the Lions were a few weeks ago. Injuries to key starters have made success hard to come by for the Red Flash.

"Recently we've been struggling to use teamwork to get everything done that we need to get done," Evangilisto said. "Our seniors need to get on the ball and hopefully they'll rise to the occasion."

St. Francis is aware of Penn State's shining success on the West Coast. Like Penn State was, the Red Flash are now looking for a spark to get them going. A win against Penn State would definitely provide that spark.

"They had a lot of wake-up calls early in the season like we did," Evangilisto said. "They're looking to continue their success by making St. Francis a stepping stone, but we're looking to put them on our list and put an end to their streak."

St. Francis is undoubtedly the underdog in this match, but the Lions know what it feels like to be in that situation. Penn State wasn't supposed to win much on the West Coast, but came out with four major victories.

St. Francis may be desperate for a win, but the Lions aren't anxious to lose. In fact, they're enjoying the sweetness of their California wins and don't want to give that up any time soon.

"This team has stayed focused in a season of distractions," Pavlik said. "These wins reinforce the lesson that their efforts pay off. I think this will spark some consistency of performance."