Don't think the guys don't have volleyball on their minds.

The team has made a concerted effort to watch more game tape. The players -- on their own free time -- have been regularly stopping by the volleyball office to watch footage.

Who goes the most?

"Oh, it's everybody," Pavlik said. "[Ed]Gardo [Goas] comes in here a lot. So does Alan [Mars], and Mark [Shipp] and Tor [Covello], and [Ryan] Wolf, and..."

And pretty much the entire roster.

"Pav made a statement the other day that we probably have had more guys come in to watch video this year than the previous five, ten years combined," said new assistant coach Jay Hosack.

Pavlik accredits a lot of that Hosack. Hosack, who joined the staff this year, has been working extensively with the team on analyzing footage.

"The guys come up here and look at video sitting down with Jay on a regular basis and Colin [McMillan] on a regular basis," Pavlik said. "I think they're really doing some of the things that in the past we either didn't have the expertise to do we didn't have the time to do when it was two of us."

Hosack knows watching game tape can often seem like a burdensome, tedious task. So he's put emphasis on making it a positive learning experience.

"When the guys were coming into to watch video at the beginning there might have been some trepidation," Hosack said. "But once they heard that I wasn't hammering them but I was more or less instructing them on things they could do differently they really started to come in in droves."

--Emily

He said it's a positive in more than one way.

Last week, he mentioned that some of the younger guys tend to take some time off when Price is swinging because he is so powerful. He also said there are a lot of little things that Price takes care of that the younger guys need to learn to add to their games.

He was hoping those younger guys would step up, and take the opportunity to learn and improve in his absence.

They have.

Hosack said the couple days of practice without Price went really well with all the freshmen and sophomores.

In the exhibition's this weekend, as Emily did a great job keeping you up to date on ATN, freshmen Kyle Mars and Tom Comfort stepped up and played well. Coach Mark Pavlik took the opportunity, with the exhibition environment, to try out a different lineup in each and every game this weekend. He said everyone played well.

Hosack said Price is in pretty good spirits, and was at practice every morning with the team, rehabbing.

As far as the second positive goes, here's Hosack:

"[The injury] also gives Will the opportunity to kind of take a break. He played a lot of volleyball over the past summer, so maybe it's good for him to get a little rest and kind of regroup and get that fire back in. Will's a very, what we would call a heady player, analyzes a lot of things, and this might give him a chance to kind of see things from a different perspective. Really give him just a chance to kind of regain the energy and passion to play again. I think he was getting got the point of where he was making some strides but he was frustrated that he wasn't getting better. I think that's a good thing all the way around. It also sends the message to the kids, 'Hey even though I'm not able to play I'm here working with you. I'm up just as early as you.' When they see a leader both because he's a captain, because he's a senior, but also because of the actions that he does those are the kind of instances that the kids kind of look at and say OK the bar has been raised to this level and there is expectations of me as a player and we tell [the seniors, captains] all the time that the freshmen that come in and imitate what they see so if you come into practice and you go at half speed they're gonna think that's the level that they have to reach. If you come into practice and you're injured and you just sit there and do nothing then they think OK when I'm injured I just sit down and do nothing. If you don't show up at all in practice when you're injured they think that that's the standard, and so that message was sent by Will coming in early and by working and doing his things while they're doing their things so that message is sent real loud and clear to our freshmen this is what you gotta do when you're injured. We talk about opportunities, and when it's your opportunity it's your time to shine and you never know when that opportunity's in gonna come."

Hosack said to touch the last part of his quote about opportunities Pavlik shared the story about Lou Gehrig replacing an injured starter for one game, and he never gave the spot back. Gehrig took advantage of his opportunity.

Let's not be naive, Price is getting his spot back when he's healthy. It doesn't mean some other starting positions aren't up for grabs, or as Hosack said a player can earn the right to be called first the next time someone is needed to step up.

Continue to check ATN for updates on Price's rehab and the progression of the role players.
-Book

-Kaplan

Pavlik used three different lineups in each of the games. The first game had captain Max Lipsitz and 6-6 freshman Nick Turko in the middle, Thomas Periera and Joe Sunder on the outside and freshman Tom Comfort (a NY native) at opposite. Edgardo Goas was the setter and Dennis Del Valle was at libero. PSU was up 18-12 when Sunder went to the line and served the team to a 7-0 run. A kill by Comfort sealed the game.

Lipsitz stayed in the middle for game two and was joined by frosh Ian Hendries. Kyle Mars and Ryan Wolf played outside, Sunder stayed at opposite, Goas at setter and newly-elected captain Jesse Wagner played libero.

"Nazareth started to serve a little tougher and seemed to get used to these hitters a little more quickly," said Pavlik of game two. "But they had no answer for Sunder and Lipsitz."

Pavlik said the team "stayed sharp" in game three, closing out the match. Turko and sophomore Mark Shipp played middle, Jason Ambrose and Periera at outside, and Alan Mars at opposite. Tor Covello was the setter and De Valle was back at libero.

Obviously a lot of different guys seeing action as Pavlik is still in experimental mode -- trying to find combinations that work. The team, of course, is without captain Will Price this weekend so it's an opportunity for the younger players to earn valuable playing time this spring.

The team will play IPFW at 7p.m. Should be hearing from Pavlik shortly after the completion of that match so stay tuned to ABTN for an update.

-Kaplan

The rundown: The Nittany Lions have a Saturday double header -- they'll play Nazereth at 1 p.m. then face off with Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Penn State will take on Loyola-Chicago at noon.

Scouting Nazareth: The Golden Eagles are a tough team to gauge. Yes, it's a DIII program. But it's a good DIII program -- it held the No. 1 national ranking in 2008 and finished at No. 5 last year. Nazareth is an up-and-coming team on the volleyball circuit, definitely someone to keep your eye on in the next couple years. The program was launched in 2005 and since then has compiled a 109-41 record. Its only common opponent with Penn State is St. Francis (PA). Last year, the Nittany Lions played the Red Flash twice, sweeping both games. Nazareth lost to St. Francis in their first game of the 2009 campaign, then bounced back to finish the season 28-5. Look out for the Golden Eagles' Frank Leahy, a senior setter, and Billy Gimello, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter who last year ranked nationally in hitting percentage and kills per game.

Scouting IPFW: Penn State is certainly familiar with the IPFW -- the teams played twice last year and are scheduled for two more meetings in 2010. The Nittany Lions handled the Mastodons easily in 2009, with a 3-1 victory on Feb. 21 in Fort Wayne and then a 3-0 win at Rec Hall on March 20. All time vs IPFW, Penn State holds a 37-13 record. Look for that win column to keep growing this year as the Nittany Lions are just a better, more experienced team than the Mastodons. IPFW has just three seniors on their roster, and they're likely to start a freshman, J.W. Kieckhefer, in the libero position.

Scouting Loyola-Chicago: Revenge. That still might be on the minds of some of the Nittany Lions. Penn State was a perfect 10-0 and held the No. 3 national ranking when they visited Chicago last February. Loyola upset the Nittany Lions, 3-2, ending any Penn State hopes for an undefeated season or top seed in the national tournament. Yes, Penn State already avenged the loss -- they swept the Ramblers when they came to Rec Hall on March 21 -- but the Nittany Lions are still looking to send a message. Especially because they only play Loyola once this season, a January 30 matchup...... in Chicago. Keep an eye on sophomore Mike Bunting, a Pennsylvania native. The outside hitter absolutely owned Penn State's defense in their loss to the Ramblers last Feburary. Bunting totaled 32 kills in the match.

Empire state of mind: Alan and Kyle Mars are headed home. The brothers, natives of Rochester, attended Gates-Chili High School, just ten miles west of Nazareth College.

Stepping in: Will Price will not be playing this weekend (right ankle) so coach Pavlik will use the opportunity to try some new players and see where they fit in. Who is going to impress? I'm going to go with Thomas Pereira. The junior from Brazil seems to be the most consistent out of the crop of guys looking to fill in for Price, and I'm expecting a breakout season for him.

- Kaplan

The severity of the injury -- to Price's right ankle -- is still unknown. But as the team leaves for Rochester this Friday in preparation for Penn State's first exhibition games this weekend -- against Nazareth, Loyola and IPFW -- it seems certain that Price will not be on the court.

"It's just going to be a chance for our younger guys to really step up," senior captain Max Lipsitz said. "Obviously it's tough losing an impact player like Will. But we don't know much about it yet and right now it's a chance for the other guys to come in and fill that role."

Make sure you stay tuned to ATN this weekend as we'll be bringing you periodic updates on the Nittany Lions' first exhibition games.

- Kaplan

-Book

Yet, without further adieu....onto the awards. I really wanted to name these something clever, but I'm 99.9% checked out as it is. I guess if we wanted to stick with a name we'll call them "The Pav's". Sound good to you guys? Let's do it.
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Player of the Year: Max Holt

Was there ever really a doubt? First team All-America, sets a school record for aces in a career and was quite possibly the most dominant player Penn State has ever had. Holt had a monster year and will be a total monster for what ever team is lucky enough to ink the "bad, bad man" to a contract.
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Break-Out Player of the Year: Will Price

Not sure there was ever a doubt on this one either. You might be able to make a case for freshmen Joe Sunder and Edgardo Goas, but Price was a freak of nature down the stretch for Penn State. His serve was a thing of beauty and he made a ton of hustle plays for the Nittany Lions. Expect Price to play a huge role for Penn State next season.
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Most Underrated Player of the Year: Joe Sunder

I know the big fella had a bit of a slump during the middle part of the season, but Sunder is set up to have a stellar career at Penn State. His swing is the most natural, powerful thing I saw on the team and if he can harness his peak potential, there's no telling what Sunder can do in the blue and white.
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Performance of the Year: Max Holt. Five kills, 1.000 hitting %, eight service aces against Juniata, January 28th.

Signature performance from a signature player. In front of only 338 people, Holt put on the most dominant performance I saw all year. Holt could do no wrong that night and he did what great players do against teams they should beat - punish them.
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Clutch Performance of the Year: Jon Sherrick, vs. Saint Francis (Feb. 25th) and Mount Olive (Mar. 28th).

Twice this past year, Penn State lost a middle hitter because of injury and twice Jon Sherrick stepped up to the plate and delivered. 12 kills against Saint Francis and six kills against Mount Olive filling in for Max Holt and Max Lipsitz. Despite being a senior and coming off the bench, Sherrick came up clutch for Penn State.
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Quote of the Year: Max Holt

"It was pretty provocative."- Max Holt on a sign in the stands that said "Sexy, can I?"

Holt was quite the jokester at times for Penn State and he didn't disappoint on Senior Night. There was a mini-student section in attendance and that sign was the cause of quite the discussion after the match. Max Holt is that dude.
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Unintentionally Funny Moment of the Year: Pav's Lineup Error

As I documented earlier in the season, during the final match of the season, Pav messed up the lineup card in the second set. The Lions managed to recover and win the set and Pav was able to look back and laugh about it and was a really good sport about it.
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Well ladies and gentleman, since I can't think of any more awards to hand out, I guess this is a wrap on the season. As I've said before on this blog, it's been a ton of fun working on this and for you guys. I hope you've enjoyed following this as much as I did writing for it. It's been a blast these past five or six months and I hope we gave you guys the type of coverage you wanted. If we didn't, hopefully our successors can do that job for you.

Until August, I'll see ya when I see ya. Peace!

UC Irvine bested USC 3-2 (26-30, 30-23, 26-30, 30-17, 15-12) Saturday night in a thrilling match. The Anteaters were led by Taylor Wilson who had 21 kills on .375 hitting for the match. Wilson was followed by Carson Clark and Jordan Dufault who had 15 and 14 kills a piece.

It really fell apart for USC in the fourth set. The Trojans were just blasted off of the court and they essentially conceded the set late and subbed some players out to avoid injury for the fifth set.

UC Irvine never relinquished the momentum it gained from the fourth set and went on to capture the title.

USC was very impressive again tonight and Murphy Troy has evolved into a total monster that is going to dominate the nation for years to come. USC is a young team and it will be back next year.

-Tom

Penn State held on to major components of last year's national championship, including seniors Max Holt, Jay Stauffer and Ryan Sweitzer, and were among the favorites to win this year.

I won't lie, I expected Penn State to beat USC last night -- I even predicted it in the blog earlier that afternoon.

However, a closer look at the Lions shows that maybe those expectations might have been a bit lofty.

At the beginning of the season, Penn State was working in three players who had no prior in-match experience with the team. Those three players, Edgardo Goas, Will Price and Joe Sunder all played major roles for Penn State this year, but to expect results similar to Luke Murray and last year's co-player of the year Matt Anderson is just asking too much.

That's not to say the trio were an abject failure out on the court. If there's one thing Penn State can take away from this defeat, it is that they saw the birth of Will Price as a dominant force who can just take over matches from anywhere on the court.

In this year's postseason, Price was an absolute monster. His serve was spectacular and his play in all aspects of the game helped keep Penn State alive throughout the night. Price, along with junior Max Lipsitz, will be the rock of this team next season.

As for Goas and Sunder, the reviews are less glowing.

Goas was called out numerous times during the broadcast for less than stellar sets and other miscues that plagued the setter. Yes, Goas did have a bad night, but you need to keep in mind that Goas is only a freshman and in his first year was named second team All-America. Goas is young and talented and will only get better with time.

Sunder also had a rough night. After a strong first set, Sunder seemed to fall out of his groove. Despite registering 14 kills, the second most on the team, he did so on .273 hitting. Penn State needed a little more from Sunder, they just didn't get it Thursday night.

But if there was one person Penn State needed the most, it was Sweitzer. Sweitzer, who ran hot and cold for much of the season, went cold in the semifinal. Sweitzer finished with seven kills on .158 hitting - the lowest of any Lion who recorded a swing.

Sweitzer was also criticized throughout the broadcast for his outside blocking, which, as a unit, helped bring down the Lions.

To be blunt, the blocking was atrocious on Thursday night. Kill after kill went flying through the Penn State defense, especially on the outside. The Lions never sealed off the antenna and USC made them pay each and every time.

There aren't many nights where Penn State would lose a match hitting .408, but when you allow the Trojans to hit .484, victory is almost impossible.

Had Penn State's blocking been better Thursday night, we'd likely be talking about Penn State playing UC Irvine for the national championship. However, the Lions are leaving Provo without the national championship and the blame train starts with the blocking.

If you're a Penn State fan, you're upset and frustrated over last night's defeat and that's understandable. You had higher hopes for this season than a semifinal defeat, but those expectations were maybe a bit too lofty, even from yours truly, who expected to be writing a story Saturday night about Penn State repeating as national champions.

The fact of the matter is, the Lions were an experienced team who happened to rely on three guys who had limited experience within the program to help guide them back to a national championship.

I don't want that to be seen as a knock on coach Mark Pavlik, the decision to use Sunder over Stauffer this season was one that paid major dividends. Also, add the experience gained by Sunder this season to all of the physical tools that he possesses and you're looking at someone who could be an absolute monster in three years, if not sooner.

Despite some questions that surround the Lions for next season, mainly how to replace Holt in the middle and the situation at outside hitter and opposite, Penn State still has many of the tools to make a run and bring back a national championship.

They have Lipsitz and Price, who were first team All-America selections this season. Add another year of experience under the belts of Goas and Sunder, along with the memory of this defeat, and you have many of the ingredients to once again stand atop the volleyball mountain.

But for now, despite the obvious disappointment following such a defeat, let's not go out and label this season a failure, for despite this season ending, the future has already begun for Penn State.

- Tom

Will Price was the MVP for Penn State tonight. He did everything humanly possible to try and will the Lions to victory but to no avail.

When Penn State looks back on this match, they're going to look at their blocking and wonder what went so horribly wrong. They could not stop Troy and Ciarelli all night long and after that first set they managed one block. That's inexcusable.

Max Holt's career is over. Holt had what is, in all likelihood, the most prolific career in the history of the program and now he's gone. Leaving with Holt will be Sweitzer, Sherrick and Stauffer.

Edgardo. I wrote in the pre that he would have to be huge for Penn State to advance and in his first NCAA match, he played well below the standard we've seen from him at times this season. He's young, he'll be back.

Tomorrow I will post something more than just bullet points looking back on this match. Until then, this is Tom Kinslow signing out. We'll see ya when we see ya. Peace!

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Service error by Price. Worst possible time for that.

USC inches closer, leading 24-20.

Sweitzer fighting to keep his collegiate career alive as he fires a kill home.

Stauffer is in for Lipsitz. They need him badly right now.

Will Price is living and living large tonight. Massive kill by the junior and Penn State is not going quietly.

Blocking yet again. The outside block has failed again for the Lions, Sweitzer the culprit.

Penn State is on life support, down 26-22, USC serving.

Huge trouble. Current with a big kill. They just can't block anything tonight.

Max Holt with a HUGE kill and you have to wonder if that may be the last we see of Max Holt in a Penn State uniform.

28-23 as Sweitzer serves into the net.

Sweitzer goes long and now the defending champs have their backs to the wall.

Sunder saves the season after Del Valle keeps the play alive and it's 29-24 with Sunder back to serve.

Another Penn State block fails and the Lions are eliminated. USC wins 3-1 and will advance to Saturday's final.
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Another block fails for Penn State as Ciarelli and Troy continue to bludgeon the Lions.

McKibbin goes flying through the bench and into the stands for the ball.

Holt's serve is blasted into the net. Not good.

USC leads 21-17 but Edgardo with his second ace of the night to try and draw closer.

Great defense by Penn State, particularly Sunder and Sweitzer, but Murphy Troy will not be denied.

Huge ace by Will Price. Will Price has been the man for Penn State the last two weeks and he's got five aces tonight. Timeout USC leading 22-20.
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Evidently, Pav spent the timeout talking to Edgardo. Edgardo has also been below his normal standards and it's shown tonight.

Great hustle but Sunder to keep it alive but yet again the outside blockers cannot do the job. USC leads 5-4.

Another great dig by Del Valle leads to a Penn State point.

Weak set by Edgardo and a miscommunication with Holt leads to an easy point for USC.

USC leads 9-6 and Murphy Troy is unstoppable.

Yet again, another outside block from Penn State falls short and USC is inching closer to the final.

Watch out, Max Holt's back. Huge kill by the big fella and he's back to serve.

Service error by Holt and Pav has seen happier days.

The Lions cannot seem to tie it up. USC keeps slamming the door and they lead 12-10.

The outside blocking is just atrocious at this point. If I were USC, I'd just go right to the antenna all day long.

And we're tied. Lipsitz has powered Penn State back. However, they cannot take the lead.

Huge mental lapse. Holt just totally destroyed a ball and he thought it was down but it was still in play and got caught out of position. USC leads 15-13.

Now he's angry. Holt destroys a ball. He does not look pleased at all.

USC start to try and pull away and now lead 17-14. Holt was blocked at the net and the ball eluded the sprawling Del Valle.

Penn State has had one block over the last two-plus sets. USC leads 19-15 and Pav calls his final timeout. Penn State is dangerously close to being put on life support.
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I just want to go one record as saying the blocking has been subpar tonight. It's been bad. Murphy Troy has gotten whatever he wanted so far tonight. Four blocks in the first set, one over the last two. Penn State needs to realize it's do or die right now and step it up.

Lipsitz is blocked at the net by USC and the frustration is setting in for the Lions. 3-1 USC.

Murphy Troy with yet another kill and it's 4-1 USC and Pav calls his first timeout. The bleeding has to stop and right now the Lions are hemorrhaging.
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Out of the timeout, USC has three straight points and Edgardo cannot get in sync with this hitters. It is all about Edgardo for Penn State and right now, he needs to step it up. Price looks frustrated.

USC leads 25-19 and Penn State is trying to fight back, something they've only done once all season. Either way, we may be looking at five if Penn State is going to win this thing.

Max Holt: Still and forever that dude. On his little personality profile, he joked that he ate 10-15 hot dogs a morning to train for the Nathans Hot Dog eating contest. Penn State is rallying and it is 26-22 USC.

Will Price hit a ball so hard it hit the low celiing, a ball that would have been destined for the stands. Penn State still recovers and the rally is still going.

Holt has helped bring the Lions back with his serve and it's a two point difference. 5-0 Penn State run that is ended with a Murphy Troy kill. 27-24 Trojans.

Unbelievable hustle by Penn State. Will Price with a great dig to keep the play alive and Sunder finishes the job and it's a one point lead for the Trojans.

The Lions were there for the block but it went wayward and USC inches closer to a set victory.

Murphy Troy hammers it through the block and Penn State is against the wall. 29-26 USC.

Ciarelli with the ace and like that Penn State trails 2-1.
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USC has managed to keep Penn State from putting any type of rally together. The Lions will get a point, and then drop two and the process repeats.

USC leads 17-11 after a kill by Sunder

Sweitzer has found the stroke and delivers another kill. However, USC will not let Penn State gain an inch. Ciarelli with a kill to squash the rally.

USC is hitting .640 in this third set. I'm not shocked, Penn State has been unable to block the Trojan attack tonight.

Joe Sunder just caved in someone's skull with a kill to cut it to 20-16. I couldn't imagine taking a kill from Joe Sunder to the top of the skull, I'd probably still be on the floor.
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That was Penn State's first dropped set since the fifth set against Long Beach State on March 15th. Impressive, most impressive.

USC jumps out to a 3-1 advantage early and some of Penn State's body language just screams frustration.

Penn State can not get in any sort of rhythm right now. They're way out of system, they're frustrated and Pav calls a timeout down 7-3.

The Lions are hitting .000 right now while USC is over .400.

I don't know if it's just me but it just hasn't felt right watching Penn State play tonight. I don't know if its from travel or what but it just hasn't felt like the same Penn State team.

USC leads 13-7 and this could get ugly quick if Penn State doesn't act quick.

USC just keeps pulling away up 15-8 and Penn State calls a timeout. Huge trouble for the Lions here.
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USC holds a 24-21 advantage after a great rally by both teams. Murphy Troy has 10 kills.

USC is hitting above .600 in this second set. Insanity.

Lipsitz trying to keep Penn State alive in this second set as they cut it to 25-22.

What do you know? Another service error, this time from Edgardo. Penn State is going to have to stop with that, especially with how good they're hitting when it's in play.

8-3 run by USC and Mark Pavlik does not look pleased

Timeout USC and it's 27-24 USC. Penn State needs something and quick.

Price with back-to-back aces. Ladies and Gentleman, we are witnessing the birth of a beast.

Stauffer back in trailing 28-26 but USC still pushes it to set point.

Overpass leads to a kill by Current and we're knotted at one a piece. Sloppy set yet again from Penn State and they just never seemed to be in it. Price has been carrying Penn State so far. He needs help, and fast.

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Murphy Troy evidently took part in a pizza eating contest. Someone set up a Holt v. Troy eating contest right now.

Less than stellar set leads to a block for USC. USC leads 16-14.

Someone please get Will Price registered as lethal weapon because that kill could have taken someone's heads off.

However. USC still leads 19-17.

Another service error by Penn State. They need to start taking something off its serves.

Insane dig by McKibbin to keep it alive and USC finishes it off following a rally to lead 22-19 and Penn State calls a timeout.
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Penn State hit a robust .483 in the first set. Nothing wrong with that. Eight service errors in the first set is a bit alarming.

Will Price with five kills, the most of any Penn State player.

89% of the time, if you win the first set in the semifinal, you win the match. Uh oh for USC.

Another intelligent comment from the broadcast team. Penn State hasn't played West Coast teams since January. Or that road trip in March where they played BYU and Long Beach State. Put me in the booth, I'd at least get things right.

Del Valle almost made a dig with his foot but to no avail. The second set is tied at four.

Another service error by the Lions. That's nine for anyone scoring at home.

There's the millionth altitude comment. I GET IT! I GET IT!

Will Price hugs the line with a kill to knot the set at seven.

Penn State takes a 9-8 lead after a fourth contact by USC.

Max Lipsitz is throwing the hammer down, another kill by Lipsitz, all of them have been missiles.

Price with his second ace. You can't stop Will Price, you can only hope to contain him.

Easiest kill of Joe Sunder's life. Penn State was way out of system after a great dig by Dennis. Sunder lobs it over the net and USC decided to watch it land between them. To quote Jerry Seinfeld, "That's a shame."

USC takes a lead on a kill on an overpass by Del Valle. The commentators must not see much of Dennis because they don't understand that he runs all over the court.

Timeout Penn State as USC takes the lead.
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Edgardo with an ace and he's got that huge grin on his face, knowing that it just shouldn't be at this stage of the season against this type of opponent.

Penn State leads 27-25 and USC is trying to crawl back in it and Pav calls a timeout to try and settle his team down.

USC's coach looks like New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Just saying.....

Penn State holds a tenuous 28-27 lead after a Sunder hitting error. However, Will Price gives USC the no-no with a nice kill to push it to set point.

Jay Stauffer comes in and the lady doubts Pav's decision making. Do your homework.

HUGE block by dangerous man Max Holt to end it. Yeah that was a terrible decision to put Jay in to serve....oh wait.

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Hey did you guys hear that they're playing at altitude? If not, there's a feature on what serving at altitude does.

Price's serve is still red hot from last week and USC fires wide and now Penn State is on a 6-2 run to lead 21-18.

HUGE swing from Current and that ball had to go into the fifth row.

Max Holt will not be outdone. Holt with a big kill.

I must say, I feel like USC is doing a good job of keeping Del Valle out of the match. I almost forgot he was out there.

Penn State's newbie's are doing a good job so far, Sunder with a big kill.

More service errors, USC this time with the error. I wonder what the commentary team believes is the cause of all this......

Look out below, cause Max Lipsitz is giving the people what they want. Huge kill and Penn State is up 25-22.

Timeout USC down 26-22.

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I like how the screen says "Game 1", too bad they're called sets now. Bravo ESPN. Bra-vo.

Another service error from Penn State. Got to fix that, and quick.

Please, good sir on the TV, shut up about the altitude. It's not like they're playing on the moon.

Timeout on the court and Penn State still trails 16-13.

Matt Anderson is in attendance and evidently has quite the posse with him.

Wow, was that video footage of Max Holt yelling? I didn't know he had emotion. I honestly thought he was the Terminator.

There's Will Price, who has swagger like no one else.

There's Sunder who comes flying in from the back row to tie it up before another service error, the Lions' sixth.

There goes Del Valle almost running out to the concession stand for a ball but to no avail. USC leads 17-16.

Will Price has come to play tonight. Service ace from the man who evidently doesn't own an ipod. I thought that was like a college necessity.

Insane dig by USC that seemed to confuse Penn State who thought it hit the floor, but it only delays the inevitable. Price with another kill that bruised a few ribs on USC's side. Timeout on the floor and now Penn State leads.
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We're underway and we're getting a good look at bad, bad man Max Holt. He's going to need to be on with his serve tonight.

Starting Lineups

USC

Murphy Troy
Tony Ciarelli
Tri Bourne
Austin Zahn
Hunter Current
Riley McKibbin
Luke Morris

Penn State

These intros are gonna be epic.....

Ryan Sweitzer
Will Price (Totally loves the camera)
Joe Sunder
Max Lipsitz
Max Holt (Also loves the camera, and wants to be in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest)
Edgardo Goas
Dennis Del Valle

Max Holt's major is sports journalism, smart man.

I must say it's not nearly as much fun to watch this on TV as opposed to the press box.

A hitting error and a service error back-to-back. Gotta limit that.

Lipsitz's motto "Give the people what they want." Epic.

So I've heard about the sea level like eight times already. They're in the mountains, the air's thin, I get it.

USC holds a narrow 6-4 advantage against Penn State so far.

Joe Sunder would most like to meet Einstein, might take awhile to arrange that meeting.

Penn State keeps feeding the beast, Holt slams home a kill but Penn State still trails 8-6.

Lipsitz with a huge block and a flex. He's giving the people what they want.
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Hey all you Penn State men's volleyball fans, this is Tom Kinslow coming to you live from Rec....scratch that, my family room where I'm getting ready to watch your Nittany Lions take on the Trojans of USC in the NCAA Semifinal.

As we've said earlier, Penn State and USC clashed in the first match of the season at the Outrigger Invitational. Penn State won 3-2 but these are two different squads and it'll be interesting to see what level of familiarity there is with each other.

The match gets under way in just about a half hour so check back then when I'll be here to guide you through the action.

It's been a long, interesting season but we've arrived at the match that has been expected for Penn State, given the weakness of the EIVA.

One thing that wasn't expected is Penn State's opponent tonight. All season it seemed as if Irvine, Pepperdine and Northridge had the best teams in the MPSF. But USC proved otherwise, coming from the fifth seed in the MPSF tournament to win and claim a spot in the final four.

The Penn State- USC matchup opened the season in Hawaii, and it will end the season for one of those teams tonight.

Penn State won that opening match in five sets, but both teams have improved significantly since then. USC has reworked most of its starting lineup and is just on a tear right now.

As for Penn State, we've seen and chronicled the Nittany Lions steady improvement throughout the season. From new additions to the offense to errors to blocking, the Lions have bettered themselves in each facet and are playing their best volleyball at the right time of the season.

Both teams thrive off of a strong service game, but the Trojans don't have Dennis Del Valle receiving those serves. The sophomore libero should play a huge role in Penn State's success in Provo.

What to Look For: Some attacks and serves flying long early as the teams deal with nerves and the thin mountain air.

Player of the Match: Ryan Sweitzer. Max Holt and Max Lipsitz in the middle are going to bring the solid production they do every match but Penn State will need someone to step up on the outside. Why not Sweitzer, who has played well on the road this season. He also has some things to prove after being left off the All-EIVA First Team and the All-American team.

Score: Penn State 3-1 (30-28, 32-34, 30-27, 30-26) It's hard to see either of these teams losing at this point, but the Lions have more experience at this level than the young Trojans.
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Tom's Take

Well this isn't really a match that needs much hype. Penn State, the defending national champions against USC, a team that pulled upset after upset to get into the tournament will clash tonight. The winner goes on to Saturday's final and the loser goes home. Does it get any better? I think not.

I think there are a couple of X-Factors for Penn State. First off, Edgardo Goas. It starts and ends for Penn State with Edgardo. If Edgardo can maintain his composure being on the biggest stage in collegiate volleyball and deliver crisp sets to his hitters, it should go smoothly for Penn State.

I also think there's an intangible aspect to Penn State everyone ignores. The seniors. Max Holt, Jon Sherrick, Jay Stauffer and Ryan Sweitzer do not want to leave with their heads hung walking off the court while someone else celebrates. Those four will do it whatever it takes to bring another title back to Penn State and will play a huge factor in its success this week.

What To Look For: How Edgardo Goas, Will Price and Joe Sunder react to their first NCAA Tournament match.

Player of the Match: Max Holt. If I'm going to pick someone who could take over a big time match, it's Max Holt. He's got the power, he's got the serve and he'll need to be big tonight.

Score: Penn State 3-1 (30-27, 28-30, 30-26, 30-25)

Five Nittany Lions (Holt, Lipsitz, Price, Del Valle and Goas) were all named to the rosters. Those five selections were the most of any school.

Below are the rosters....

AVCA Division I-II Men's First-Team All-America

Ryan Ammerman, UC Irvine, S, Sr.
Dean Bittner, Long Beach State, RS/Opp, Jr.
Paul Carroll, Pepperdine, RS/Opp, Jr.
Max Holt, Penn State, MH, Sr.
Max Lipsitz, Penn State, MH, Jr.
Will Price, Penn State, OH, Jr.
Erik Shoji, Stanford, DS/Lib, Fr.
Kawika Shoji, Stanford, S, Jr.
Murphy Troy, USC, OH, So.
Eric Vance, Cal State Northridge, OH, Sr.
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AVCA Division I-II Men's Second-Team All-America

Tony Ciarelli, USC, OH, Fr.
Carson Clark, UC Irvine, Rs/Opp, R-Fr.
Dennis Del Valle, Penn State, DS/Lib, So.
Jordan DuFault, UC Irvine, OH, So.
Edgardo Goas, Penn State, S, R-Fr.
Drew Pickering, Lewis, OH, Sr.
Jacek Ratajczak, Cal State Northridge, MB, Jr.
Jordan Varee, Saint Francis, RS/Opp, Jr.
Dustin Watten, Long Beach State, DS/Lib, Sr.
Kevin Wynne, UC Irvine, MB, So.

AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Year: Announced at NCAA Championship Banquet on May 6
AVCA Division I-II Men's Newcomer of the Year: Erik Shoji, Stanford University, Fr.

-Tom

As Tom's fantastic reporting (one post down) predicted, UC Irvine earned the at-large bid. The Anteaters are also the No. 1 seed and will take on MIVA champion Ohio State in the first round.

Penn State earned the second seed and will face red-hot USC in the semifinals.

Penn State- USC will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN360 at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, May 7. The game can also be heard on gopsusports.com with everyone's favorite former Nittany Lion assistant coach Craig Dyer providing color commentary for the game.

Irvine and Ohio State will play at 11 p.m ET Thursday on ESPNU.

The national championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Saturday, May 9 on ESPN2.

The Trojans, who surprised many by winning the MPSF tournament, present a tough challenge for the Lions, but Penn State coach Mark Pavlik expects a challenge at this point of the season.

"The field is gonna be as strong as it was last year," Pavlik said after Saturday's EIVA championship match. "We're gonna face two good teams and we've gotta play well for two matches."

Now this upset messes everything up and creates a nightmare scenario for Pepperdine and UC Irvine. Both teams expected to get in, one as the MPSF Champion and the At-Large. Now that USC has turned the trick, two teams, one spot and in a couple of days we'll find out who gets in.

Now there are criteria for this type of situation outlined in the NCAA Handbook. They are as follows.

1. Overall Record
2. Head-to-head results
3.Home and Away results
4. Record against common opponents
5. Results against teams already qualified and under consideration
6. Eligibility and availability of student-athletes.

Now, being the intrepid reporter that I am, I'm going to outline how Pepperdine and Irvine stack up and make my own choice for who gets to head to Provo next week.

1. Overall Record

- Pepperdine: 22-5 (81.5 winning %)
- UC Irvine: 25-5 (83.3 winning %)

-Edge: UC Irvine
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2. Head-to-Head Results

Split both matchups
- Pepperdine won 3-1 in first matchup
- Irvine won 3-0 in final matchup

-Push (Possible edge to Irvine, winning set battle 4-3)
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3. Home and Away Results

- Pepperdine: 12-2 (85.7 winning %) at home. 10-3 (76.9 winning %) on the road
- UC Irvine: 13-2 (86.6 winning %) at home. 12-3 (80 winning %) on the road.

-Edge: UC Irvine
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4. Record Against Common Opponents

- Pepperdine: 17-3 (85% winning %)
- UC Irvine 22-3 (88 % winning %)

Edge: UC Irvine
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5. Record against teams already qualified and under consideration.

Okay I assume the only two teams being looked at are Pepperdine and Irvine. So that leaves a trio of Penn State, Ohio State and USC. I'm also throwing in their records against each other, since they are under consideration themselves.

- Pepperdine: 3-1
- UC Irvine: 3-2

Edge: Pepperdine
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6. Eligibility and availability of student-athletes

I'm not aware of any major injuries, although who knows how sore Carroll's shoulder is after that amount of swings but I'm going to call this a push based on pretty much a lack of knowlege.
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Final Verdict

As you can see, Irvine holds a 3-1-2 advantage in the categories for selection and could be as high as 4-1-1 if you move the head-to-head over to Irvine for winning more sets. So if I were on the NCAA Committee, I would be sending Irvine to Provo along with Penn State, Ohio State and USC.

-Tom