Making the eight-hour bus drive to Penn State University on Thursday, middle attacker J.D. Gasparovic looked forward to the challenge facing the No. 13 Ball State University men's volleyball team tonight.
With the defending NCAA champions on a 15-match winning streak and receiving every first-place vote in this week's coaches poll, Gasparovic said he likes that most people expect Ball State to lose its road match against No. 1 Penn State.
The sophomore said it's all the more reason to get motivated and prove everyone wrong in one of the Cardinals' biggest non-conference matches.
"It's always a huge pump up as an underdog going in," Gasparovic said. "I want to dethrone them."
Penn State (3-0) enters the match after defeating three nationally ranked teams at the Outrigger Invitational in Hawaii.
Ball State coach Joel Walton said he is fine with the Nittany Lions being considered the favorites in the match, especially after the Cardinals were swept in their season-opening match to No. 3 Stanford University on Saturday.
"I know with this team there are a lot of energy and things they want to prove," Walton said. "Our guys want to show they can play with Penn State, and not just play with Penn State, but beat a team like Penn State. We got a roster of experienced players who aren't satisfied putting in a good show. They want the win."
The Nittany Lions have four starters returning from last season's championship team, including two All-American middle attackers and an All-American libero. However Penn State will be without the 2008 National Player of Year Matt Anderson, who in his career averaged more than five kills per game in matches against Ball State, after he decided to forgo his senior year and play professional volleyball in Korea.
Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said since winning the NCAA championship in May, his returning players have continued to mention their focus on winning another championship this season. He also said he does not worry about the accolades because teams like Ball State are waiting for their chance to beat the defending champions.
"I don't have to mention it to them when everyone else says they are a best team in the country," he said. "We don't talk about it or worry about the poll."
Gasparovic said for Ball State to win, it will have to be able to adjust to Penn State's quick-tempo offense.
Unlike a majority of teams the Cardinals play, the Nittany Lions' offense relies on their sets to the outside attackers having a smaller arch, which increases the game's pace.
This type of offense forces the blockers to make quicker decisions, Gasparovic said, and react much faster when the setter prepares to make his set.
Walton said, throughout the week in practice Ball State worked on blocking movements and quick feet. He also said Ball State might position its blockers wider on the court, but doing that would result in possibly giving up a quick back-row attack.
"You really got to scheme and guess a little bit and force our players to read situations and do the best job they can. Penn State just runs a great offense," he said. "It's partly because their system and list of attackers they have to set the ball too."
The best way to slow down Penn State's offense, which leads its conference with a .357 attack percentage, is making good jump serves that are difficult to pass, Walton said.
"You need to serve them tough," he said "You need to try to get their setter off the net so that he doesn't have as many opponents or can't connect with their middles that easily."
Ball State is on a six-match losing streak against Penn State, with its last win occurring in the 2006 season when Penn State was ranked No. 6. That match was also the last time the Nittany Lions lost a regular-season home match.
Senior middle attacker Matt McCarthy, who is questionable for the match because of a shoulder injury, said having that previous win at University Park, Pa., gives the team some confidence for tonight. The all-conference player also said he probably would bring up that match to some of the younger players on the team before tonight's match.
"It would be a massive upset, but I've been at Ball State before where we've gone into their house and beat them," he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
