AUSTIN, Texas — Stanford’s Moses Wagner is aware of the way to play the guitar. So he seemed completely snug holding the mini guitar that was offered to him as participant of the match after the eighth-ranked Cardinal (5-0) of the MPSF swept No. 7 Penn State (4-1) of the EIVA on Friday night time.
It capped the primary day of the third annual First Level Collegiate Problem. Earlier within the early season gathering of top-ranked NCAA males’s volleyball groups, No. 13 USC beat No. 14 Ball State in 4 units and No. 4 Ohio State pulled off a reverse sweep towards top-ranked UCLA.
Saturday within the Austin Conference Middle, Ohio State performs USC at 1:30 Central, Stanford performs Ball State at 4 and UCLA performs Penn State at 6:30.
Wagner, a 6-foot-6 sophomore proper facet from San Jose who appeared in solely 5 matches as a freshman, completed with a match-high 15 kills (hitting .423) and had 4 blocks and three digs within the 25-21, 25-21, 25-19 victory
However whereas Wagner was nonetheless getting tuned up, the match took an uncommon detour.
On the sixth level of the opening set, a Stanford assault went vast and coach John Kosty and Penn State counterpart Mark Pavlik rose from their chairs and raised their problem playing cards concurrently. Kosty challenged the out name, whereas Pavlik advised one in every of Stanford’s gamers touched the online throughout the rally.
Each coaches had been appropriate. The ball was in, however one in every of Stanford’s gamers did contact the online. So each coaches gained their challenges, however the level went to Penn State due to the online violation.
After that, Penn State held a slim lead for a lot of the primary set earlier than Stanford pulled away late for a 25-21 win, with Wagner getting two kills among the many Cardinal’s remaining three factors.
Save for a 1-1 tie, Stanford led all the second set and once more gained 25-21. Will Rottman, a fifth-year senior outdoors from Santa Barbara, completed off the Nittany Lions with three consecutive kills. Rottman had 9 kills, hit .308, and had an ace, two blocks and three digs. Youthful brother Alex, a sophomore outdoors, had 9 kills, two assists, two blocks and 6 digs.
The third set was tied eight occasions till, at 15-15, Stanford went on a 5-2 spurt and pulled away for a 25-19 win.
Wagner, who had eight kills within the third set, struggled with accidents final season, so he’s searching for a little bit of redemption in 2024. By the Cardinal’s 5 matches, he ranks second on the staff at 3.26 kills per set.
“Coming into this 12 months totally wholesome, I needed to go within the fitness center every single day and simply compete and play my hardest,” he stated. “I really feel like I’ve been displaying out in video games.”
Wagner stated his job is made simpler because of being surrounded by a solid of veteran gamers. In opposition to Penn State, Stanford performed 5 fifth-years – center blocker Adam Chang, outdoors hitter Kevin Lamp, setter Nathan Lietzke, Will Rottman and center blocker Nathaniel Gates – in addition to senior libero/OH Luke Turner. Every left his stamp on the victory. Chang had 5 kills and 5 block, Lietzke had 33 assists and 7 digs, Lamp had an ace within the clinching set, Gates had two kills late within the third and Turner had eight digs.
Stanford hit .341 and had three aces and 15 serving errors. Penn State hit .195 and had three aces and 14 errors.
“I believe having the older guys on the courtroom positively helps us come collectively in tight conditions,” Wagner stated. “We simply stayed the course. That’s what we are saying on a regular basis on the courtroom: simply keep the course, regardless of if we’re down or we’re up.”
Penn State, in the meantime, misplaced for the primary time.
Although Pavlik additionally has loads of veteran gamers at his disposal — 5 seniors performed for the Nittany Lions — as a collective, they nonetheless are studying to play with out the companies of graduated super-seniors Cal Fisher, Brett Wildman and, maybe most importantly, setter Cole Bogner.
With true freshman Michael Schwob now the setter and veterans corresponding to grad reverse Johnny Kerr and senior outdoors Michael Valenzi taking up bigger roles, the Nittany Lions stay a little bit of a piece in progress.
Stanford was Penn State’s hardest take a look at at this early juncture of the season, and it confirmed.
“I believe we had been disjointed at greatest, however I believe that’s what Stanford does with a bunch that’s bringing on a brand new setter, attempting to revamp an offense,” stated Pavlik, in his thirtieth 12 months on the helm. “It’s in all probability predictable at this level within the 12 months. We didn’t reply in addition to we’re going to because the season rolls on.
“I don’t know if I agree that we’re a younger staff. We’re younger at one place. I believe it’s that place that the skilled guys need to rally round. … Will probably be a studying curve.”
Kerr, who had a 31-kill match towards Lewis earlier this season, led Penn State with 12 kills and added an help, three blocks and 6 digs.
Schwob had 27 assists, two blocks and 6 digs.
Toby Ezeonu, one of many Nittany Lions’ most skilled gamers when it comes to years and courtroom time, was held to 4 kills and hit solely .083. However Ezeonu is veteran sufficient to know that there is no such thing as a have to panic.
“Clearly we’ve to do some adjusting,” Ezeonu stated. “Many of the errors in the present day had been on our facet, and the benefit of that’s we are able to change it and we are able to repair it. We don’t have to fret about in the present day. We will at all times reply higher tomorrow.
“It felt like we weren’t taking part in the best way we often play. On the identical time, we had been taking part in a extremely good staff. It’s going to be a superb season. We simply have to reply tomorrow.”
And he expressed absolute confidence in Schwob to boost his recreation because the season progresses.
“He’s a really athletic, very younger setter. He has a really lengthy approach to go, however he’s going to be a giant participant for this program. I’ve full religion in him.
“I simply really feel like in the present day general we weren’t connecting … and it occurs. I didn’t have my greatest recreation in the present day. A number of us didn’t have our greatest recreation in the present day.”
Penn State’s work doesn’t get any simpler. The “tomorrow” Ezeonu spoke about brings UCLA., which might be attempting to bounce. again after its loss to Ohio State.
“I believe they (his Penn State gamers) are attempting to determine how they make one another higher,” Pavlik stated. “That’s only a matter of the staff being collectively and jelling and discovering out what they’ll do to make one another higher.”