For the No. 8 Penn State men's volleyball team, success is not measured by wins.
While the Nittany Lions (4-2, 4-0 EIVA) will enter the weekend on a four-game winning streak, Penn State men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik said the team will have to raise its level of play if it wants to remain undefeated at home.
The team hosts the Penn State Invitational at Rec Hall, starting tonight at 5:30 when Rutgers takes on Lewis. Penn State plays at 8 both nights, first taking on Div. III No. 2 Springfield tonight and then No. 7 Lewis tomorrow. Rutgers will take on Springfield in tomorrow's early game.
The Lions are coming off a three-game sweep of Juniata Tuesday night, a game in which Pavlik said the team won only because of its physical advantage. He said size will not be enough when Penn State plays bigger teams, especially in the postseason.
"In three of the last four home games, fans have left saying, 'Penn State won because they're bigger,' " Pavlik said. "I want them to leave saying, 'Penn State won because they're better.' " The only exception, Pavlik said, was last Friday, when Penn State beat No. 15 Loyola-Chicago in three games. Pavlik said that the team played the hardest it has all season, as the Lions battled down the stretch to win in three close games.
The coach was happy with the team's practice on Wednesday, and said he expects a "slugfest" this weekend, especially when Penn State takes on Lewis tomorrow night.
Lewis comes in with its highest ranking since 1998, and has given the Lions problems in the past. The series has been a streaky one, as Penn State won the team's first six meetings dating back to 1994, before Lewis went on to win five in a row. Penn State stopped Lewis' streak last year with two wins in which Lewis didn't win a game. However, the Flyers come in with a more experienced squad this year, as the team returns all seven of its starters, including two-time All-American Fabiano Barreto, who is averaging 4.6 kills per game.
"He's as good an opposite hitter as you'll find in the country," Pavlik said.
While Penn State fell to Ball State in four games in its opening weekend, Lewis swept Ball State last weekend to move up in the rankings. Pavlik said that the team will have to serve well, something it did not do against Juniata, when the team mounted eight service errors in the match's first game. Springfield will be no cakewalk either. The team comes in with a 6-2 record, and has shown the capabilities of knocking off Div. I teams, having beaten USC in the fall, and having split with Ohio State last weekend. The tournament will be a good test for Penn State, which plays only one Div. I ranked opponent in its next eight matches, and has one home game in the next six weeks.
