March 14, 2018
By Will Desautelle, GoPSUsports.com student staff writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State will be back at Rec Hall this weekend after a long road trip to Hawaii for the Outrigger Invitational. While spending spring break across the country, the Nittany Lions played three matches against some of the nation's top competition.
The Nittany Lions are currently on a four-match losing streak, but despite the unfavorable results, head coach Mark Pavlik and the team believe they are beginning to play their best volleyball of the season.
"We played really well [in Hawaii]," Pavlik said. "We just have not had the results showing yet, but I like where we're at, I really do.
Pavlik said before the trip, the three-match span against BYU, Hawaii and Lewis would be a great measuring stick to where the team is at this point in the season.
"I've been at this tournament enough to know that by the second match it almost feels like you're playing at midnight our time, and against Hawaii we just couldn't get moving," Pavlik said. "But I like where out serving is, that continues to improve. I thought are passers did a nice job against some very physical servers the teams had. It just seems like we're playing the game well right now."
The Nittany Lions will now turn their attention to their fourth ranked opponent in a row, as they take on the ninth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes Friday night. In their meeting earlier this season, the defending national champions swept the Nittany Lions in Columbus.
However, the last time Ohio State visited Rec Hall, Penn State defeated the then top-ranked Buckeyes in five sets last season. Interestingly, Penn State starting setter Luke Braswell was injured for that match, and Nathan Smith led Penn State to a huge upset win in replacement.
Smith, who saw time on the court in the matches against Hawaii and Lewis to give Braswell some rest, will not start the match against Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions have a reliable and experienced option behind Braswell should they need him.
"I think [Smith] is very quietly competitive, and he knows that he can win, and he proved that last year," Pavlik said.
Braswell and Smith have challenged each other over the last two seasons in practice every day, and they each bring different styles of setting to the table.
"[Braswell] tends to handle the ball a little bit higher above the net and gives you a bigger block up front and [Smith] tends to deliver the ball to the antenna a little bit better. It's just a different type of setter, but both work," Pavlik said.
"[Braswell] is very consistent and makes really good decsions, and his location is very good," Smith said. "I think I'm a bit more of a risk-taker, and my location is a bit more off, but I'll be a bit more deceptive. The balance between those two styles is something we can learn from each other.
Smith admits he was a bit nervous when Pavlik called his number during the Hawaii trip but eventually settled in and took full advantage of the opportunity.
"It was a really awesome opportunity," Smith said. "Just playing in front of a huge crowd in one of the best places to play volleyball in America was fun to be out there with the team. It is a bit flustering at first, but once you get into and being around people you play with every day, it's awesome to be out there with the guys."
Smith said the team will have some extra motivation for this weekend, but he also agreed with his coach - there is still plenty of reason for optimism.
"Nobody was happy about losing all three games last week, but I think the mentality is pretty good," Smith said. "We've gone in with the mindset to attack every play like it's your last point and trusting our training and getting to where we want to be at the end of the season.
Penn State will look to knock off Ohio State at Rec Hall for the second year in a row at 7 p.m. Friday night. The Nittany Lions will then be right back on the floor Sunday at 4 p.m. for a match against EIVA foe Saint Francis.