PSU faces No. 2 USC to kick off season

By Adam Gorney
Collegian Staff Writer

The Penn State men's volleyball team is starting its season at the top.

Coming off an impressive preseason showing at the Nittany Lion Invitational this past weekend, the Lions are ready for a bigger challenge.

They will get one this weekend as they face the nation's preseason-No. 2 team — Southern California.

Today's game will start at 8 p.m. at Susquehanock High School, and tomorrow's game will begin at 8 p.m. at Council Rock High School. Both high schools are located in the Philadelphia area.

The Trojans, led by senior captain and first-team All-American Donald Suxho, are a young but powerful team who see this season as their time to return the USC men's volleyball program to national prominence.

Coached by former All-American and Olympic gold medalist Pat Powers, Penn State men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik sees this as a good time to make that return.

"Pat has taken this team and done a nice job with them. You're going to see a tough, physical team," the sixth-year coach said. "That is a good, young, talented nucleus that Pat has going there."

Even though USC had to travel across the country, the Trojans will not get to enjoy the friendly confines of Happy Valley, since the game isn't anywhere near the area.

Powers said it isn't the travelling or the high school atmosphere that worries the volleyball veteran.

Penn State's lack of weakness is his major concern.

"I don't think there are any weaknesses," Powers said. "We just have to handle the jump serve and try to win the game on our side of the net."

USC got a jumpstart on its season last weekend, playing into the championship game at a tournament held at UC-Santa Barbara. The Trojans beat Colorado State, Cal Baptist and Loyola Marymount before being defeated in the final by preseason-No. 4 Pepperdine.

The Penn State players are not intimidated by the high-fueled Trojan attack.

Junior co-captain Steve Aird and his teammates are anticipating two tough matches, but said they are loose and ready to go.

Aird is also expecting something more from the mouths of the Trojans except the usual communication between teammates.

"They've been known to talk a lot of smack," said the Ontario native.

Aird understands the secret to winning this match.

"The bottom line," he said, "is we're going to outwork them and hopefully they are going to overlook us."