In their first real action of the season, the Nittany Lions (4-0) were led by the strong play of middle blocker Sergio Pampena. He had 13 kills in Friday's match against Niagara College, then reemerged Saturday night during the match against Sherbrooke College.. Against Sherbrooke, Pampena and senior Tony Mazzullo shared the team lead with 16 kills apiece. Pampena also added seven blocks, three of which were solo.

"Sergio is very emotional and scores points when it's crucial," said Penn State middle blocker Josh Briggs.

Though Pampena played well, he was not the only standout performer for the Lions, as seniors Brad Miller, Dan Pollock and Mazzullo played strong during the weekend.

Pollock made his presence known Saturday night. The setter ran the offense close to perfection, finishing with 56 assists in three games against Sherbrooke.

Penn State coach Mark Pavlik had no problem switching things up throughout the tournament, going to his bench continually to use all of his players.

"We have a lot of depth on the team and like switching it up," said Pavlik.

Pavlik showed the crowd a variety of combinations on the court , one of the most notable being moving freshman Jason Hawkins up to play with the Lions' top line of Pampena, Miller, Pollock, Mazzullo and redshirt junior Eric Houston.

"It felt great playing with these guys," said Hawkins. "They have more experience and have showed me a lot. Sergio has helped me out with my blocking."

In other matches, Penn State had backup setter Jose Quinones running the floor. The sophomore showed why the team rarely missed a beat this season when he plays the role of floor general.

During Penn State's Saturday morning match against Wilfrid Laurier, Briggs (three aces, three block shots, three digs) worked well with Quinones.

"The team pulled together and I was just being a part of the team," said Briggs. "We were playing how we practice and we took it to the next level."

The Lions' next five games are against the top five teams in the nation, starting at 7:30 tomorrow night at home against No. 5 Ohio State.

"We need the whole team to work hard," Pampena said, "and we need everyone to be on top of their game."