Too often this season, a high-level volleyball team has sent a well-hit serve rocketing over the net with an earth-bound trajectory, only to be popped towards the ceiling of Rec Hall and out of bounds by a helpless Penn State defender. Defeated in the momentary one-on-one battle, the Penn State men's volleyball player would then prop himself up, adjust his uniform and prepare for the next serve. It's been an all-too-familiar sight this season.

And there lies the problem.

Though not horrible, the Nittany Lions have not been a stellar passing team.

So, if they are going to accomplish anything this year -- and by that I mean win an NCAA championship (it's almost a given that they will take the EIVA) -- it all stems from their ability to make an effective first contact with the ball.

Recently, the Lions' passing has developed into an issue. They've jumped back and forth from libero to libero, unable to lock down a mainstay at the position.

The libero, a defensive player usually responsible for making a solid first contact with the ball and placing it in a hittable spot for the setter, has been a position shrouded with uncertainty from the beginning of the year.

Before the season began, Gary Vogel, who would be a sophomore and probably the starter, left Penn State for the season due to a medical condition.

In 2005, Vogel helped the Lions to a 30-4 final record and a No. 4 national ranking while totaling 278 digs -- 19 short of the Penn State single-season record.

Aaron Smith, a converted outside hitter, stepped in this season to fill the void. Smith has shown flashes of brilliance (see: Jan. 20 vs. Ohio State -- Smith finished with 16 digs at a .976 passing percentage).

He has also shown his inexperience with weaker outings (see: Feb. 3 vs. Juniata -- Smith had difficulty passing in Game 2 and was taken out in favor of redshirt freshman Jay Stauffer).

Smith was recently suspended from the team for the rest of the regular season for violating team conduct. In his place, Penn State men's volleyball coach Mark Pavlik has tried Stauffer, junior libero Ryan Walthall and even senior outside hitter Kevin Wentzel.

"I think we'll just keep spending time on the passing," Pavlik said. "As we go through April, that's what's really gonna settle out. I'm not sure anything is solid, settled, set in stone. I think we're trying to make sure we have all options available."

And in April and May, the passing will truly matter most. Against the tougher competition -- teams from the West and Midwest -- the Lions' inability to efficiently pass has reared its ugly head. In Penn State's recent road trip to California, the Lions dropped a match to a lower-ranked USC team due largely to poor passing.

However, when the Lions upset then-No. 3 Long Beach State on its Feb. 4 trip to Happy Valley, their best team passing can be cited as one of the key factors in the victory.

Penn State's success relies on its passing efficiency.

But, for the most part, the Lions haven't passed great against some of the nation's better teams (UC-Irvine, Hawaii, USC), and it might be keeping them from being a truly special team. Penn State's great expectations regarding a potential national championship run in early May hinge on making a solid first contact and putting hittable balls in play.