Will Price went up as part of a trio attempting a block, and he came crashing down awkwardly on his right ankle -- shouting loudly in pain.
The senior co-captain for the Penn State men's volleyball team sprained his right ankle at practice Tuesday morning at Rec Hall's South Gym, coach Mark Pavlik said.
After a few minutes of lying on the floor, Price hopped on his left foot over to the trainer's table, where his right ankle was visibly swollen and promptly covered with ice.
Fellow All-American and senior co-captain Max Lipsitz was in on the play with Price.
"We watched a lot of film yesterday, Will, Edgardo [Goas] and I," Lipsitz said. "We were working on triple-blocking, so Will was trying to focus a lot on that, and I think we just obviously need to work on a little more. It's something we're not comfortable with. I think he just kind of landed weird."
Price wanted to watch his teammates practice, so he yelled for a ball to be thrown his way. After an impressive grab from the trainer's table, he used the ball as a pillow to elevate his head so he could see his teammates.
A few minutes of watching practice was all he could handle, as he accepted the trainer's offer to go to the training room. On crutches, he hopped out of the gym.
The length of time Price will be sidelined is unknown, but Pavlik said the backups are here because they are talented volleyball players and the expectations don't change with one of their leaders out of action.
Pavlik said he will take his time getting Price back on the court with it still being preseason.
"You preach and tell everybody you're one play away from being on the court," Pavlik said. "The guys that take the message to heart from day one usually prepare themselves very well for being one play away. The guys that say, 'Yeah right, it's never gonna happen,' all of a sudden say, 'Oh my goodness.' "
Lipsitz and assistant coach Jay Hosack said there is a positive to Price going down so early in the preseason. The Nittany Lions don't open up play until Jan. 7 in Hawaii.
Lipsitz said he's excited for the opportunity for the younger players to train with the first team, an opportunity they most likely wouldn't have got until next year.
"Obviously we don't want anybody to be injured, but I think it might actually be a good thing," Hosack said. "Some of the younger kids now get a chance to step up. We have a tendency when Will is swinging to kind of relax on things because he's so terminal. This might actually make them wake up."
