Volleyball's win streak ended by Loyola

In only their third non-EIVA match in their last 13 matches, the Lions could not hold off a hot Loyola team, which, coming into the match, had won its last four matches.

"It was not a good loss — it was a bad loss," said Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik.

Pavlik cited poor passing and serving as the reasons for dropping the match.

"We passed horribly," he said. "We could not pull the ball anywhere near the net."

The Lions lacked consistency, as their hitting percentage fluctuated throughout the match, peaking in games two (.471) and four (.481), but dramatically tailing off in the fifth and deciding game (.176).

Loyola senior outside hitter Brad Stoub was a thorn in Penn State's side all night, hitting .415 and sealing game five and the match with one of his team-high 28 kills. A match-high five block assists from junior setter Shane Davis and a team-high 10 digs from junior outside hitter Dan Kellum put the Ramblers over the top.

Pavlik said that the match was not well-played by either team and had the Lions played anywhere near the level they're capable of, the result of the match could have been different.

"If you play the match again, and if both teams are sharper, I think we put ourselves in a position to win," he said.

In a meeting after the match, Pavlik said that he and Loyola head coach Gordon Mayforth joked that they should keep both of the teams on the court and have a passing and serving practice.

Concerned after the disappointing loss, Pavlik said questions were swirling about in his head.

"What was going through my mind was, 'What kind of character do we have as a team?' and 'Can we come back from this?' " he said.

Penn State did just that, rebounding to sweep Lewis (15-8) the following night for the second time this season (30-25, 30-27, 31-29).

"They (the Lions) came out and showed some maturity," Pavlik said. "They showed how to focus and put things behind them."

While it was Loyola who capitalized on Penn State mistakes the night before, it was the Lions who took advantage of poor execution from Lewis' outside hitters.

Penn State contained former MIVA Player of the Week sophomore Fabiano Barreto, holding him to a negative hitting percentage in the first two games, and allowing him to finish with a meager .029. The Lions also held freshman Victor Bird to a -.118 hitting percentage.

"In the Lewis match, they (the Lions) showed that they can bounce back," Pavlik said. "When their backs are against the wall, they can play well and they did that."

The wall has become a little more flexible now for Penn State as Juniata upset George Mason Friday, sweeping the Patriots 30-27, 30-23, 30-27. The Eagles handed George Mason their second loss in the EIVA Tait division, giving the Lions (10-0 EIVA) a two-match division lead and allowing them to come a step closer of allowing them to host the EIVA championships in April.