After not playing against Hawaii Jan. 27, Houston hit a slump where seemingly everything in his game didn't work.

Houston was sidelined by men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik and was used only sparingly throughout matches in February and March. But position realignment and a few adjustments have helped the Lititz native find his niche again, at the most opportune time of the season — the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and national playoffs.

Splitting time with junior Steve Aird and redshirt freshman Kevin Hodge at libero, Houston has worked his way back into the lineup with hard work and determination.

But the defensive position of libero doesn't fit the style of play for Houston — a natural hitter.

Pavlik realized Houston's abilities as a hitter, so after he saw consistent play in late March and early April, the sixth-year coach began the process of re-introducing Houston into the offensive scheme.

"He's been on the court and hasn't gotten flustered when there was tough serving," Pavlik said. "He's always communicating, you know he's out there. He does the little things well."

What Houston also brings to the match for the Nittany Lions is another offensive threat.

With the freshman tandem of Carlos Guerra and Zeljko Koljesar, consistent senior Adam Whitescarver, Dan Hoechst and a group of players contributing off the bench, Penn State embodies a potent offensive attack, even before the Houston factor.

With a team-high 20 kills last Saturday night against conference-opponent Southampton, Houston is re-energizing his game with strong play and a confidence that hasn't been seen from the swing hitter since early January when the season began.

Although his offensive abilities are evident and his newfound defensive efforts have been recognized, Houston brings something the Lions have lacked all season — experience. With only one senior on the squad in Whitescarver, Houston is a select member of the Lions who has consistently been around the collegiate game for more than a year. Houston's experience is what teammates said is his best on-court quality.

"Eric stabilizes the court," Penn State setter Jose Quinones said. "He's a very experienced player. The guys respond when he talks."

Houston said he just wants to concentrate on the matches and not his personal play.

With a weekend slate full of matches to finish off the EIVA regular season and then the playoffs at the end of the month, Houston and his teammates will have to be at peak performance to make it to the Final Four at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW) May 4-6. There will be no letting up now.

"You have to be on a roll going into the playoffs," he said. "It's definitely a good feeling to be playing well now."