Spikers spank Rutgers-Newark to break into win column for first time

By JOSH DAECHE
Collegian Staff Writer

After losing seven straight matches to open the season, the Penn State men's volleyball team took the court Friday night at Rec Hall as a team on a mission.

With fire in their eyes the Nittany Lions defeated Rutgers-Newark (15-13, 15-3, 14-16, 15-11) and finally claimed their first victory of the season.

If No. 13 Penn State (1-7) had any inclination of wanting to host the EIVA Tournament, it had to go through Rutgers, a team that Penn State lost to last year in Rec Hall.

Friday Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik decided to switch things up, starting backup setter Jose Quinones, opposite hitter Tim Hoffman and switch hitter Eric Houston.

Quinones kept Rutgers on its toes all night by evenly distributing the ball to the outside and allowing Hoffman and Houston to crush one of their 25 kills combined. When Quinones wasn't passing outside, he let one of Penn State's three seniors come inside and pound the ball away. Quinones added eight kills and led the team with 71 assists and a team-high 11 digs.

The Lions saw strong play from Tony Mazzullo, who excelled offensively as well as defensively and finished the match with 22 kills and 10 digs. At times the swing hitter played like a man possessed -- attacking every opportunity that came his way.

On countless amounts of opportunities Mazzullo came up with digs and on the ensuing play followed with a kill. Mazzullo demonstrated the leadership that the team has needed throughout its rocky early season.

In the third game Penn State was up 14-11 and the match appeared to be over, but Rutgers middle blocker Jason Hamlerlick would not allow the Scarlet Knights to go down easily. Hamlerlick, who carried Rutgers the whole match with a game-high 37 kills, continued to fight and forced a fourth match.

"It was just a lot of heart," Hamlerlick said. "We made a lot hitting errors but we played well as a team."

In the fourth match Penn State looked as if the wind had been taken out of its sail and trailed early, 4-0. Mazzullo, though, rose to the occasion with back-to-back kills. Houston then hit a pair of service aces and Penn State was back in it.

Fueled by Hamlerlick, Rutgers stayed right with Penn State matching it kill for kill and point for point.

Then with the score deadlocked at 11, Quinones set up Hoffman who came through with a shot down the line to make the score 12-11.

The Lions never looked back from then on as Mazzullo wrapped up the match by serving the final point.

"After being down 4-0," Pavlik said, "coming back to win the fourth match shows character."

Notes:

Penn State hosted an alumni game Saturday afternoon. The Lions defeated the alumni in three games (15-11, 15-9, 15-5). Over 40 members from four decades returned.