Following the awards ceremony for the EIVA championship Saturday, Dennis Del Valle climbed into the baseline stands to celebrate with some of the Penn State men's volleyball team's greatest fans -- the Penn State women's team.
Del Valle received congratulatory hugs from Christa Harmotto and Alisha Glass. The women smiled, told him, "Great job!" and laughed as the libero bounded down the bleachers to the locker room.
The men and women's volleyball teams share Rec Hall and through their mutual use of the facilities, a bond has formed throughout the years between the two successful northeastern programs. But after the NCAA selection committee awarded the No. 1 seed in the upcoming championship tournament, the two could share something even more significant than friendship.
With the women winning the national title in December, Penn State has a chance to boast the champions of both men's and women's volleyball in the same academic year. The last school to accomplish that feat was Stanford in the 1996-1997 season.
"It's pretty unbelievable to have not only two teams win a title for the school, but to have it both happen in the same sport," Harmotto said. "It's kind of ironic that they'll be playing for it in California, where I wouldn't be surprised to see an East vs. West final."
Men's coach Mark Pavlik and women's coach Russ Rose helped build dynasties in the traditionally weak East Coast. The two have led Nittany Lion volleyball to a combined winning percentage of .826 and were on hand for each of the school's three national championships in the sport.
"It speaks volumes on how the Penn State athletic department feels about the sport of volleyball," Pavlik said. "We have a great relationship with the staff and the players ... It keeps winning volleyball in the minds of our guys all year round."
The two programs constantly see each other throughout the year in Rec Hall. As they make their way to the weight room, the men pass some of the women heading to the trainer. Sometimes the teams split up South Gym and practice at the same time.
Even when they don't see each other in the hallways, the teams make efforts to stop in on each other's practices and watch. During the summer offseason, the two programs routinely come together, pick up sides and play rounds of co-ed volleyball.
"We like to play as much as we can," Glass said. "We learn a lot from playing with them, the speed of their game and everything like that. And I'm sure they get a lot from us."
The extent of the teams' friendship comes out during each other's matches. Members of the women's team attended each of the men's matches this season, sitting either in the front row on the sidelines or directly behind the action on the baseline. When the men played St. Francis in February, the women leaned over the railings and talked trash to the opponents on the court.
In the women's NCAA regional finals held in Rec Hall last December, Harmotto said the men did the same for them. The team dressed up and sat in the front row, cheering the Lions and celebrating after they won.
"We try to get the crowd pumped up, and yeah, we heckle a little bit," setter Luke Murray said. "They'd do the same for us."
