UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With the 2021 season ready to get underway in Columbus this weekend, Penn State men's volleyball head coach Mark Pavlik, redshirt junior libero Will Bantle and junior outside hitter Brett Wildman discussed what to expect from men's volleyball this upcoming year at the program's preseason media availability. Here are three of the top takeaways:
Coach Pavlik prepares for toughest EIVA yet
After the EIVA decided to grant players an extra year of eligibility following an abrupt ending to the 2020 season, 16 of the 19 All-EIVA players from the 2020 season decided to return for one more season. The return of these players to the league and other players to different conferences across the country resulted in the competitiveness of the league expanding to a whole new level.
"Now you are going to have guys who are going to have another year or half year under their belt, and there is no question in my mind across the board in the country — let alone the EIVA — the level of play will improve, and I think that's a good thing for men's volleyball," Pavlik said. "I think the EIVA is going to be a war. I think this is frankly the toughest EIVA season in my career."
Bantle and Wildman plan to build off of growth
After the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19, Bantle and Wildman want to build off their successful individual seasons heading into 2021. In the shortened 2020 campaign, Bantle had the second highest amount of digs (155) and digs per set (2.28) in the EIVA after coming off of an injury that happened in 2019.
Wildman became an offensive workhouse for the Nittany Lions by scoring 250 kills — the second highest in the EIVA — on his way to being named EIVA co-player of the year.
Despite the unique circumstances the 2021 season brings, Bantle and Wildman are not reworking their game plans of how they intend to grow within the game and are sticking to building off of their skills and experience.
"Last year, I was coming off of an injury so I was really trying to get back at it," Bantle said. "Having that experience made me come back with a fire. It made me understand everything about getting over the hump of just getting to know things and things started clicking for me. This year we lost all those seniors, so now I am the oldest kid on the team. For me, it's bringing those leadership skills and bringing those young kids along really showing them the culture of who we are as Penn State."
"For me, it was another year under my belt," Wildman added. "You cannot replace experience and cannot replace being out in certain situations. It's pretty easy when the whole team is bought into what each individual is doing."
A smaller but athletic and exciting roster
When asked what fans should expect from this upcoming team, common words used to describe the Nittany Lions this season were different. The roster is smaller in terms of height from previous seasons, but Pavlik mentioned it might be one of the most athletic teams the program has put onto the court.
In addition, the team's 7-0 run in EIVA play last season has developed a sense of unfinished business for this year's team. That bodes well for this team to showcase the grittiness it's known for.
"I think with everything this team has been through, it's going to be a pretty fun season," Bantle said. "We are going to play for each other, for all those people last year who got their last years cut short, and for all those people before that."
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