April 23, 2015
By Tyler Feldman, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In his 21st season as head coach of the men's volleyball program, Mark Pavlik is on the brink of his 500th career victory.
After wins over NJIT and Princeton last weekend, Pavlik now sits in his Rec Hall office with 499 wins under his belt at the helm of Penn State Men's Volleyball heading in to Saturday's match at Saint Francis.
"It's a nice round number that people tend to remember," Pavlik said. "You get a chance to look back on it. If it happens this weekend, I'm glad it happens with this group of guys. I really enjoy this team. They've been so resilient, so much fun to be around, and they've worked so hard. It's just a time where you get a chance to think about what's come before you."
Currently, Pavlik owns a lifetime record at Penn State of 499-151. He has won more than 77 percent of the matches he has coached, a statistic that speaks volumes to the standard he has set in Happy Valley.
He captured the 2008 NCAA National Championship and has made University Park one of the premier spots across the country to play Division I men's volleyball. He has helped Penn State earn 17 straight EIVA Regular Season Championships, EIVA Tournament Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.
The maestro has coached 21 different players to 41 All-America awards. Even further, each season at least three of his student athletes have earned first team All-East/All-EIVA accolades.
"Any coach will tell you 500 [wins] is a great accomplishment, but it really means that you've been doing it for quite awhile with some really great people around him," assistant coach Jay Hosack said. "He's been lucky enough to be in a place like Penn State where they've been very supportive of the program and supportive of him. The quality of the kids that he gets here, you look at the whole package, and that's really what that means."
For Pavlik, winning has always been important, but what he takes pride in is the way in which he develops his players into well-rounded student athletes who positively impact both the program athletically and the university academically and socially.
"I think Pav will tell you that the 500 wins belong to the players, and he's just happy to be a part of all the great players that have come through that have provided him with the opportunity," assistant coach Colin McMillan. "He's been a great shepherd and steward for the program throughout his 21 years as head coach."
Having already sealed the top spot atop the EIVA standings, the Nittany Lions will host the EIVA Tournament for 17th straight season under Pavlik. Garnering home court advantage is an area that Pavlik understands is integral to the success of his team in the postseason.
"It's huge," Pavlik said. "You look at our history, and I think our guys, over the course of all the EIVA Championships that have been hosted by us, we've been able to stay in our routine and embrace the pressure that's on us to win these matches. They've done that really well. This year, with the other three teams involved, we're going to have two tough matches to play, and we're going to have to be ready for them. That's the beauty of hosting."
The Nittany Lions will look to not only help get Pavlik his milestone victory, but also close out their regular season a perfect 12-0 in EIVA Conference play when they travel to Loretto to meet Saint Francis at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
"The way we've been playing, we've shown that we can play a pretty high level game, and we're playing for a longer and longer period of time during a match, and I just want that to continue," Pavlik said. "Let's keep building. Let's keep getting stronger because after this weekend, their season can end in one match, and I'd like to stay with this group for as long as I can."