Friday, April 17, 1998
Twice bitten
Tigers defeat spikers again; Lions' season over
By CARLA MOTKOCollegian Sports Writer
Before last night's match, Dan Pollock, setter for the Penn State men's volleyball team, was positive Princeton would not beat the team twice in a row. He was sure the Tigers could not win consecutive 3-0 decisions.
Penn State Men's Volleyball Home Page
The Nittany Lions' (17-15) season is officially over, ended by
one of their biggest rivals, Princeton (16-7). The Lions were
blanked 3-0 (7-15, 13-15, 14-16) by the Tigers in the semifinal
round of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA)
Championships.
The last time the two met, the Tigers beat the Lions 3-0, but key elements were lacking in the Lions' loss. Players who weren't up to par in late March were well-prepared this time and Pollock and the other Lions were almost certain of victory.
Lion blocker Sergio Pampena, left, and swing hitter Steve Aird miss a block against Juniata earlier this season. Last night Penn State lost to Princeton in the semifinal round of the EIVA Championships. (Collegian Photo/Christa Rimonneau - click for full size image)
But Penn State is returning to Happy Valley with its first-ever
EIVA semifinal loss.
The Lions came out strong in the first game, scoring their first
four points off the block. But with a 7-5 lead over the Tigers,
the Lions relaxed a bit and Princeton went on an 8-0 run and finished
the game 15-7.
"I thought Princeton played the way Princeton always plays,"
Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said. "They came out with such
an intense tenacity that when things went wrong for them you couldn't
tell."
In the second game, Penn State was confident it could come back, but a 0-1 deficit was difficult to overcome. The Lions began to dig balls, something they failed to do in the first game, but the Tigers shut down the Lions' outside attack.
Lion setter Dan Pollock prepares to pass the ball to swing hitter Eric Houston in a match against Juniata last weekend. Penn State ended its season in a three-game loss to Princeton in the EIVA semifinals last night. (Collegian Photo/Christa Rimonneau - click for full size image)
Mazzullo finished the night with 17 kills and eight key digs,
but it was not enough for Penn State to pull out a win in the
second game. The Tigers won 15-13.
Sensing urgency after the first two losses, the Lions took command
late in the third game with a 14-11 lead. But mistakes cost the
Lions who had trouble putting games away all season. The Tigers
turned the tables and closed out the match with a 16-14 victory.
Pavlik recognized Princeton was such a solid team that giving
the Tigers an advantage early inevitably leading to the Lions'
loss.
"Again we were just not sharp against Princeton," Pavlik said. "And if you're not sharp and you give them the opportunity to score, it's tougher to hold on than it is if you keep the game close."
