Will Price wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win a national championship -- even change positions.
The senior co-captain for the Penn State men's volleyball team was an All-American at outside hitter last season, and if he wants to repeat the accolade, he'll have to produce at opposite hitter.
This weekend against Rutgers-Newark and Springfield, Price moved to the right side of the Nittany Lions' formation and played opposite hitter in attempt to balance the offense.
"As a team, in men's volleyball you need a right-side attack," Penn State setter Edgardo Goas said.
"We definitely need a big time right attack. With Will there, I think we'll be in pretty good shape."
Playing on the right side isn't completely new for the seasoned veteran. He transferred to the Lions from George Mason as an opposite, and he trained at the position two seasons ago while sitting out because of transfer rules.
In their first eight matches of this season, the Lions had an unbalanced offensive attack.
Price and Joe Sunder easily lead the team in kills with 169 and 146, respectively, but all of those kills were coming from the left side of the court.
Tom Comfort and Alan Mars, the two players who had started at opposite before Price took their place Friday, have combined for just 73 kills.
Defenses were able to key in on the left side of the Lions' attack and possibly limit Price and Sunder's hitting percentage.
In Penn State's Jan. 30 loss at Loyola-Chicago, Price and Sunder were each held to a .220 hitting percentage. Despite Mars ripping a career-high 13 kills at opposite, he was set only 21 times compared to Price and Sunder on the left being set a combined 100 times.
With Price now opposite Sunder, the offense has added some balance. Sunder totaled 29 kills this weekend and Price totaled 30.
"It is a little bit more balanced, especially on paper," Price said. "If our coaching staff feels that's what we're going to do to not have a lopsided attack -- we had this conversation at the beginning of the year -- I'm down to do whatever."
Now, Goas and Price have to get on the same page. Goas is used to setting both Price and Sunder on the left, and they both are huge jumpers for the Lions, requiring a much different style of set than Comfort and Mars.
Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik kept Goas and Price in for every set of the Lions' matches this weekend for the two to get comfortable with Price on the right.
"It's different. It takes some getting used to," Price said. "It is something Edgardo and I haven't really clicked on yet. If we do stick with it once he and I start clicking, things will be a lot smoother."
