Feb. 25, 2016
By Jack Milewski, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to Penn State's Matt Callaway.
The redshirt junior occupies the middle blocker position on the court for the Nittany Lions and also boasts a team high .482 hitting percentage. That means that Callaway puts away roughly half of the balls he is set, resulting in an efficiency that effectively enhances Penn State's offense.
"I really try not to make errors and just be one of the steady guys on the court," Callaway said. "I think being consistent is something that every player aspires to do so I'm happy that is how my play is looked at."
Head coach Mark Pavlik certainly agrees with the consistency sentiment directed toward Callaway saying that he is a guy that they can count on to limit errors and put balls away when the team needs points.
"You know what you're going to get from Matt," Pavlik said. "When he is up quick he makes good decisions and he can move the ball around. He has also been on the court for quite a while so nothing much out there surprises him."
Callaway has indeed been a large part of the Penn State team for a few years now and has gained experience through matches against some of the toughest competition in the nation. Although he has always been consistent when it comes to attacking, Pavlik and Callaway agree that the blocking aspect of his game has certainly improved, especially coming into this year.
"His blocking has really gotten better," Pavlik said. "It's so much better and I think that 'get it' alert has gone off. He gets it and he has worked real hard to be a middle that scores points for us."
Pavlik says that the process for Callaway to become that offensive middle hasn't been easy. Despite always being consistent, he says the offense last year didn't come easily for the 6-7 middle. However, Callaway has been patient and that is one of the things he feels like he has learned the most here at Penn State and through playing at this level.
"[I think] I've really learned to be patient," Callaway said. "It's trying not to be frustrated when things aren't going your way because it's a tough sport and a lot of things can happen. So for me it's really been just staying patient and realizing that the games going to come to you."
Pavlik believes that the patience of Callaway has also contributed to his increase in blocking efficiency. So much so that he currently sits No. 6 in the nation in blocks per set. Callaway says that blocking was a huge focus of his in the offseason.
"It was definitely something I focused on," Callaway said. "Our team hasn't been one of the better blocking teams in a while I would say. This summer I watched a lot of international play to see what those guys were doing to help them block so well. It was watching a lot of film and then incorporating that in to my game that really made the difference I think."
Pavlik agrees that Callaway has improved leaps and bounds with his blocking and that the added film time certainly played a factor in where he is at now.
"I think that [blocking] is the hardest skill to master," said Pavlik. "You can do everything right and have nothing to show for it. I think that is toughest thing for blockers to understand and Matt has gotten really good at doing the same thing over and over again."
Even with all of his success this season, Callaway is quick to deflect the praise to his teammates. He credits Taylor Hammond, the top setter in the nation in terms of assists per set, as a big reason why he is having so much success.
"A lot of it is my teammates," Callaway said. "[Hammond] has given me some great sets all season and the pin hitters that we have as well free up a lot of space for me. So first and foremost its them."
Moving forward, Callaway remains in the team oriented mindset, saying that the next step for the sixth ranked team in the nation is a killer mentality.
"We need a killer instinct now," Callaway said. "When were up by eight or nine points we need to play harder, not let up."
For Penn State the next hurdle in the schedule is this weekend when they take on Charleston (W.V.) and George Mason. First serve is set for 7 p.m. both nights.