At the outset of each season, members of the St. Francis (Pa.) University men's volleyball team create a "goal sheet" of things they want to accomplish.
"The guys all get together and discuss what's important to them," coach Mike Rumbaugh said. "And every year the list is pretty much the same: have a good attitude in practice, work hard all season, beat Penn State."
The Red Flash are hardly alone with such hopes. As the 2010 season approaches, it seems every team in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) has placed a bull's-eye on the Nittany Lions' back -- which seems to grow larger with every bout of Penn State success.
And there's plenty of that -- just look at the foyer of the men's volleyball office in Rec Hall, which is cluttered with trophies the team has accumulated. The Lions have won 21 EIVA Championships, including the last 11.
"PSU is what all other teams in the league aspire to be," said Juniata coach Jeremy Price, whose 2009 Eagles were swept three times by Penn State, including the EIVA Championship title game last May. "They're also the team that everyone in this league aspires to beat."
Of course, few EIVA teams actually do. Since 1985, when the league began to officially record statistics, the Lions have posted a 218-11 record against conference opponents, including a perfect 12-0 2009 season where they didn't lose a single set to an EIVA foe.
Penn State's dominance in the EIVA has lead to national success. Collegiate men's volleyball has a unique landscape; there are only 22 Division I programs nationwide, and Ohio State is the only other Big Ten school with a men's team.
Because there are so few programs, the NCAA Championships lack divisional structure. There are three major conferences, and the champion of each league is given an automatic berth to the NCAA semifinals.
Penn State leads the EIVA with 24 NCAA appearances. The next closest school is Rutgers-Newark, with four appearances -- three of which were before 1980.
"Everyone in this league knows that to get to the EIVA Championship, you have to go through Happy Valley," said Charlie Sullivan, coach of Springfield College.
Yet that can be an unhappy task for EIVA schools -- one-third of which are Division II or Division III programs. As a Big Ten institution, the Lions have the premier resources that other schools in the EIVA lack.
"We're just a small, D-III school with no scholarships," Sullivan said. "And they're Penn State."
Yet the brand-name recognition can also serve as a burden. Mark Pavlik, Penn State's head coach for the last 15 seasons, says sometimes the matches that his team is heavily favored in are actually the hardest to win.
"No matter the opponent's record, or any perceived advantage," Pavlik said, "we have to go in every game and play hard."
Rumbaugh says that Penn State's history of success is the product of good coaching, but the school's prestige also helps the team acquire the best talent.
"Every kid in the East Coast dreams of playing for them," Runbaugh said. "And they get some great players."
Since 2001, nine Penn State players have been named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) first-team All-Americans. In that span, there have been only two players from all other EIVA schools given the award.
Yet despite all of the Lions' achievements, there is little resentment toward them from the rest of the league. Most EIVA schools appreciate Penn State's success, saying it helps with recruiting and sets a strong reputation for East Coast volleyball.
"Obviously when we play them we want to beat them," Princeton coach Sam Shweisky said. "But whenever Penn State is out there gaining national recognition, we're rooting for them. When they do well it, the EIVA does well."
