Mark Pavlik is no wizard. He is not a voodoo doctor. Nor is he an enchanter. And that's OK. When it comes to preparing the Penn State men's volleyball team for the playoffs, the coach is going to keep it simple.
"Nothing magical," Pavlik said. "I think you just roll up the sleeves and get right down to business."
The No. 11 Nittany Lions (18-8, 11-1 EIVA) are approaching the final push for the upcoming conference tournament, and Pavlik is prepared to tweak some of the team's weaknesses before next Wednesday night's EIVA semifinal match.
He's had to wait to make the adjustments, though, because the Lions have had the past two days off to rest their tired legs. The team returned to Rec Hall's South Gym for practice this morning.
The time off might allow in-game experiences from the past couple of weekends to ferment and really sink in. Those experiences from recent matches may come back to prove themselves valuable.
This season -- unlike recent years -- Penn State rounded out the regular season against high ranked opponents, such as last weekend's' road matches against No. 10 Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and No. 14 Ball State. In the past, the Lions would conclude their regular season against EIVA teams, instead of Midwestern or West Coast teams.
"This weekend, we [played] some pretty solid teams, and we haven't fared the best," said senior co-captain Matt Proper, "but we really have to buckle down right now and focus these next two weeks."
And thanks to those four recent matches against Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association members -- three of whom were ranked in the top 15 -- some of Penn State's weaknesses have been exposed.
The Lions' block, which was unimpressive in recent matches, was once again below standard after last weekend's matches. The passing, too, hasn't been crisp -- another source of concern for some on the team.
"I think we need to work on our passing a little bit," Proper said. "We haven't blocked too many balls lately, so hopefully we can focus on passing and our blocking. Our defense has been coming around, but I'd say blocking and passing are two of the big keys we need to focus on from here on out."
But while Pavlik also cited blocking as an area for concern, he'll maintain the blue-collar approach he's used all season in practices: "[We're] just gonna get back in the gym and try to put them in some more situations."
But just getting reps in the gym during the next two weeks of practice will carry the team only so far once matches roll around.
"We gotta be as intense as possible, but at the same time intensity and consistency have to go hand-in-hand," Proper said. "Yeah, we can play our hearts out, but if we aren't sharp and we aren't good, it isn't gonna matter. Our intensity has to breed better play. We just have to be at our best these next couple of weeks of practice and in the playoffs."
