In the NBA, Miami has the Heatles. Los Angeles has Lob City. Boston has the Big Three.
Mark Pavlik has given a nickname to his three stars, Aaron Russell, Peter Russell and Tom Comfort.
“They are now known as the new sweat-suit business, Russell-Russell and Comfort,” Pavlik said after No. 6 Penn State’s Tuesday night’s sweep over Loyola-Chicago.
Comfort and the Russell brothers are the Nittany Lions top three season kills leaders for Penn State, and the three led the team Tuesday.
Comfort and Peter Russell both recorded 10 kills, while Aaron added eight.
“We are definitely comfortable with the people around us,” Aaron, the younger brother said. “We are just comfortable with each other. We are putting in the effort every day and I think that is paying off.”
After Tuesday night’s match, Comfort, a New York native, has the most kills among the Sweat-Suit Company and Lions, 61. Aaron Russell has 59 kills this season, and older brother, Peter, has tallied 50, five matches into the season.
“I think they’re about right where we thought they would be,” Pavlik said. “We are going to get better as everybody learns, moves through.
Pavlik also added that the work ethic the team, especially from his three top offensive weapons.
“You keep that up over the course of a practice, over a course of a week of practices, over a course of months of practices, good things start happening,” Pavlik said.
Either Aaron or Comfort has led the team in kills in the first five matches. Aaron has led three times, and Comfort now twice.
Comfort has the season high of 18 in last Friday’s match against Lewis.
“We have to give all the credit to [redshirt freshman setter Taylor] Hammond. He’s putting up great, hitable balls,” Comfort said. “All the credit goes to everyone else on the team.”
Hammond has 214 assists this season, while no other Nittany Lion has more than 10. Hammond recorded 36 of the Nittany Lions’ 39 assists against the Ramblers.
Hammond allowed Penn State to hit .494 on Tuesday, and all three members of the newly dubbed company hit above their season average.
“If they are brothers, great. If they are not brothers, great,” Pavlik said of the Sweat-Suit Company. “I think they are doing what we are asking them to do. I think they are just going to get better.”
